


In Cold Blood

by Rebel_On_The_Rise



Series: In Cold Blood [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Original Character-centric, Post-Descendants 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2020-03-17 06:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 52,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18959434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebel_On_The_Rise/pseuds/Rebel_On_The_Rise
Summary: Magic may be forbidden in Auradon, but Erika won't hold it back.In the confusion that comes with bringing more and more VKs to Auradon, the children of heroes cling ever tighter to their good reputations. They are the sons and daughters of princes and princesses whose names are legend. They are willing to accept the VKs, but not embrace them. Good and bad can never mix.Erika is different. The only daughter of Elsa, Queen of Arendelle, Erika is a flawless princess. Regal, proper, and quiet, everything about Erika is the image of what a princess should be. The kingdoms may be united under Beast's rule, but Erika is still royalty. And she will not allow that fact to be overlooked. She is a good girl, a perfect princess.In every way but one.





	1. Introduction- Winter's Answer

" _Elsa!_ "

 

Servants scattered in the wake of the young princess storming through the Arendelle palace. Anna's red braids bounced with every step she took. "Elsa! Elsa, where are you?"

 

"I'm here, Anna," the young queen replied, stepping out from her chambers. "What in the world is going on?"

 

"You wouldn't believe it! A messenger arrived from Beast and Belle's kingdom this morning, and the message he brought! The nerve of that animal-turned-prince-turned-king! How _dare_  he!"

 

Elsa raised her eyebrows. Anna was fuming. She looked ready to punch someone in the face- probably why the servants had made themselves scarce.

 

"Where is this messenger?" she asked. "As the queen, I should probably see what he comes about."

 

"He's in the front parlour," Anna answered, "and he's lucky it's not the dungeon. I have half a mind to- to- to- ugh!"

 

A small smile played around Elsa's lips. "Tell him I will be right there, please," she said to her sister. "And don't hurt him."

 

Anna gave a brisk nod and stalked back the way she had come, anger visible in every line of her body. The servants who had begun to resume their duties hurried out of the way once again. Elsa let loose a low chuckle, shaking her head at her younger sister.  _To think I once thought I could protect her. Anna needs help from no one._

 

Elsa quickly rebraided her thick, white-blond hair and flung open the doors of her wardrobe. _Let's see. Which dress should I wear for this messenger from Auradon?_  She tapped her fingers on her chin, scanning the clothes.  _My green gown? My dark blue dress? Or my old favorite again?_  Elsa ran a hand over the turquoise dress she had created on the North Mountain, smiling at the feel of the ice-coated fabric. Reluctantly, she tugged on the dark blue dress with the white fur trim. Since this was a royal occasion, she set the small, jeweled tiara on her head as well. 

 

Elsa strode down the hallway to the front parlor, only stopping a moment to admire the beautiful view outside the massive windows. A servant brushed by her. "Pardon me, Your Majesty," he said, a small smile on his face, "but there seems to be a slight commotion in the front parlor."

 

Elsa sighed. "I'd better get in there before Anna starts a war," she muttered. 

* * *

"...from the High King Beast of the United States of Auradon, His Majesty wishes to offer a proposition to the most respected kingdom of Arendelle..."

 

Elsa resisted the urge to yawn as the messenger plodded through the extensive greetings that began this letter, merely a matter of formality. There was no warmth in King Beast's words. 

 

"...since the wedding of the noble princess Anna and Prince Consort Kristoff has made her Highness a suitable heir to the throne of Arendelle.."

 

Elsa sighed.  _Cut to the chase._ She was growing bored of the overly formal tone of King Beast's letter. Actually, she was bored of this entire meeting. King Beast had unified several kingdoms- under his rule, naturally- and imprisoned the villains on a small, magic-less island. And those villains included Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Elsa hadn't really spared a thought for the scheming, murderous prince in the three years since she became queen. But she knew Anna had never forgiven him for leaving her to freeze while he tried to kill Elsa like the monster he claimed she was.  _Beast probably thinks we owe him a debt for imprisoning Hans. He probably wants to add Arendelle to his list of united kingdoms._

 

Suddenly, she heard words that froze her where she sat. And it took a lot to freeze the Snow Queen.

 

" _What_ did you say?" she demanded, clenching her fists. The messenger cleared his throat.

 

"On behalf of the United States of Auradon, King Beast respectfully calls attention to the uncontrollable powers her Majesty possesses, which have proven to be quite dangerous, not only to the respected kingdom of Arendelle, but to the world. Therefore, King Beast asks that her Highness, the Princess Anna, and her husband, assume the throne in her Majesty's stead, and that her Majesty Queen Elsa be transported to the Isle of the Lost in an attempt to lessen the danger of her magic, in order to protect-"

 

That was as far as he got. 

 

"Beast wants to send me to his Isle?" Elsa asked, leaping up. "His villain prison?" She scoffed, anger welling in her chest. "At least he had the decency to send a letter instead of merely kidnapping me and taking me by force!"

 

Anna folded her arms. "He's not taking you away, Elsa," she snapped, giving the messenger a glare that had his knees knocking. "No one's going to separate me from my sister ever again."

 

"How dare your king even ask such a thing?" Elsa cried. "I've held back my powers all my life. Then, when I finally embraced them, I was shackled in my own castle dungeon by a conniving prince and nearly beheaded, before Anna sacrificed her life to save me. Now, just when I'm free, Beast wants to imprison me again?! You can get on the next ship back to Auradon and tell him that we decline his  _most generous_ offer!"

 

"Elsa," Anna said quietly. "I'm angry too, but you might want to dial it back a bit. You know...your condition."

 

Elsa sat down, fuming so hotly she checked to make sure steam wasn't rising from her hands.  _I will not be imprisoned again._

 

The poor messenger was quaking in his boots. "May I have definite yes or no, your Majesty?" he quavered. "I warn you, King Beast will be very displeased if such power as you possess remains untamed."

 

Elsa snapped. She leapt up, snatched the letter from the man's hand, and covered it in a sheet of solid ice. Then she flung it to the floor, watching it shatter. 

 

" _That_ is my answer to his outrageous demand," she stated, and swept out of the room, grinding her ice-sharp heel into the pieces of the letter.

* * *

Elsa sat on her bed, once again clad in her turquoise dress, spikes of red-tinged ice coating the floor like ripples on a pond.  _Untamed. Ha! Is that what he thinks? I've learned to control my powers, but I will never bend them to his commands._

 

She pressed a hand to her swelling stomach. "Oh, my little one. If you inherit this gift from me, I will make sure that you never have to hide it. You will grow up strong and free. I swear it."

_Beautiful._

 

_Powerful._

 

_Dangerous._

 

**_Cold._ **

 

 


	2. Winter's Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika prepares to leave Arendelle, accompanied by a warning from her mother.

“‘Rika! ‘Rika! ‘Rika! Wake up!”

 

Erika opened her eyes, moaning as her body registered the small weight sitting on top of her stomach. 

 

“Arvik, Klaus, what are you doing?” she muttered, groggily waving a hand in the general direction of her young cousins. 

 

“You gotta get up, 'Rika!” Arvik shouted. His little brother Klaus positioned himself next to Erika’s head and began enthusiastically beating her with a pillow. Erika wearily swatted him away and pulled the covers over her head. “You gotta get ready fo’ school!”

 

Erika sat straight up, nearly knocking Klaus off the bed. “School! Auradon! I have to get ready!” She pushed the blankets aside and swung her legs over the side of the bed. 

 

Erika perched on the small white chair next to her vanity. Arvik and Klaus bounced on her mattress as she picked up a hairbrush and pulled it through her silky hair.

 

Erika studied herself in the mirror as she worked. She had always thought that she looked oddly different from her mother. Her nose was long and straight,  not at all like her mother’s small, turned-up nose. Her hair was even lighter than her mother’s, just a shade or two away from being ice white. But Erika had inherited her mother’s fair skin, pale pink lips and piercing, clear blue eyes.

 

She had inherited one other thing, as well.

 

Arvik launched his small body into the air and landed hard on Erika’s mattress. Both boys were catapulted right off the edge of the bed.

 

They landed gently in a pile of soft, fluffy snow.

 

Erika stood with her hand outstretched, a small smile on the edges of her lips. “See, that’s why your mother doesn’t like you bouncing on the beds,” she scolded gently. “What if I hadn’t been around? What if I hadn't been fast enough to catch you? You could have been hurt.”

 

“But it’s your room,” Arvik said, cocking his head to the side. “You’re always around.”

 

Erika’s smile faded. “I’m leaving today, remember? I’m going to school in Auradon.”

 

“And she needs to get ready or she’ll be leaving wearing her nightgown,” someone broke in with a laugh.

 

A pretty woman in her late thirties stood in the doorway, smiling. 

 

Arvik and Klaus jumped up. “Mama!” they shrieked, running to her and hugging her tightly.

 

“ _God morgen_ , Aunt Anna,” Erika said, smiling as she watched the two little boys frisking around their mother like two puppies. 

 

_"God morgen,_ Erika," Anna replied, flicking her auburn braids back. The princess eyed the snow pile. "Were these two little rascals jumping on the bed again?"

 

“I’m afraid so,” Erika answered. “They fell off when someone-“ she playfully glared at Arvik- “bounced a bit too hard and launched them into the air. However, I saved the day.” She waved her hand and blew a flurry of snowflakes around her small cousins, smiling as they batted at the snowflakes swirling around them.

 

“And you did a wonderful job of it,” praised a new voice.

 

The figure that swept into the doorway was one known even beyond the borders of the kingdom. Queen Elsa of Arendelle was just as beautiful at forty-one as she had been at twenty-one. She wore a fond smile on her face as she bent and kissed Erika’s forehead. _"God morgen_ , snowflake.”

 

_"God morgen_ , Mama,” Erika answered, sitting back down to finish brushing her hair. Knowing the two would want a moment alone, Anna shooed her small sons out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

 

Elsa sighed and sat down on the bed. “I’m usually good at not holding things back,” she said. “But I don’t know if I’m ready to let you go.”

 

“I’m not ready to leave,” Erika responded. “But Auradon thinks we’ve been a kingdom of isolation for too long.”

 

A half smile appeared on Elsa’s face. “We’re surrounded by mountains on three sides and a fjord on the other. Our kingdom isn’t what you’d call easily accessible.”

 

Erika laughed. “I’ll probably be the only student to journey from her kingdom by ship.”

 

“Once you reach Auradon, they’ll probably switch to a car,” Elsa said. “From what I’ve seen during the few times I’ve been to Auradon, the royal family likes their limousines.”

 

Erika’s eyes widened. “I’ve never even seen a limousine.”

 

“They’re big,” Elsa told her. “Big and long and sleek. But I prefer your uncle’s sled.”

 

“So do I,” Erika agreed. “Even when he-“

 

“Talks to his reindeer,” they both finished, laughing. 

 

Elsa grinned. “Just one of his many quirks.” Her face grew serious. “Erika, I need you to promise me something.”

 

Erika set down the hairbrush. “Of course, Mama. What is it?”

 

Elsa folded her hands in her lap. “You know Auradon doesn’t allow magic,” she began. Erika nodded. She had heard that Auradon had banned all forms of magic from their unified kingdoms- kingdoms which included Arendelle, although the rule had never stopped Erika and Elsa from using their powers. “You've been doing so well with your powers lately. Soon enough, you'll be ready to make a castle of ice all on your own. But that's all here. In Arendelle. In Auradon, they will try to make you conceal what you can do. They'll try to make you hide it. Snowflake, I need you to promise me that no matter what they say, no matter what they do, you won’t hold back your powers. I’m not saying to set off an eternal winter, but don’t let them scare you into hiding who you are.” She sighed. “I don’t want you to grow up like I did- locked away from myself, concealing who I really was and what I could do, pretending not to feel the emotions that I felt. I’ve raised you to use your powers as much as you want to, whenever you feel like it. I want you to be free, Erika. I didn’t discover freedom until I was years older than you. I don’t want you to have to go through life pretending that you’re something that you’re not. I want you to know that you can do amazing things with your magic, and I don't want you to hide those gifts. Can you promise me that, no matter what happens, you’ll stay yourself? Even if it means breaking the rules?”

 

Erika reached forward and took her mother’s hands in her own. “I promise, Mama,” she whispered. "No Auradon rules for me."

 

Elsa hugged her. “It won’t be easy,” she warned. “Auradon hates magic. They’re afraid of it. They’ll tell you that it’s too dangerous, too uncontrollable.”

 

She placed her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Don’t let them control you.”

* * *

Erika and Elsa stayed in Erika's bedroom for almost an hour, talking. Erika shared all her concerns about Auradon Prep, and Elsa did her best to calm her daughter's worries. Once she was alone, Erika finished getting ready quickly, pulling on a shirt in her favorite shade of blue and adding white pants and heels. She left her hair down and clasped a silver snowflake necklace around her throat- a gift from her mother on her tenth birthday. At the last moment, she waved her hand and trimmed her shirt with tiny ice crystals that resembled rhinestones.

 

Erika had packed her suitcase a few days before, so she was ready to leave as soon as she got the word that the ship from Auradon had arrived. She tucked a few essentials into a silver purse embroidered with her name and headed downstairs, closing the door of her room behind her. 

 

Almost everyone in the castle had gathered at the bottom of the stairs. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Arvik, Klaus, Olaf, most of the servants, even Sven were waiting to see their young princess off.

 

“The whole kingdom’s outside,” Kristoff remarked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. He leaned over behind his reindeer and said in his ridiculous Sven voice, “You’re popular, princess.”

 

Erika giggled and gave her uncle- and Sven- a hug. “Goodbye, Uncle Kristoff. Goodbye, Sven. I’ll miss you both.”

 

Anna detached her hand from Klaus and wrapped her niece in her arms. “Enjoy Auradon, sweetheart,” she said. We’ll see you on Family Day, all right?”

 

“All right,” Erika answered. “I want to see everyone there. The whole castle.”

 

Anna smiled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

 

Olaf waddled up to Erika and opened his twig arms. “Warm hug?” he asked.

 

Erika knelt down to reach the short snowman. “I’ll see you soon, Olaf,” she said.

 

“I’m going to miss you,” he said softly. “I don’t need a brain or a heart to know that.”

 

Erika sighed, a wave of sadness washing over her. _What am I going to do in Auradon without any of my family there? It’s going to be so lonely._

 

“Erika, we don’t want to keep Auradon waiting,” Elsa told her quietly. “You’d better hurry, snowflake.”

 

Erika felt tears prick her eyes as she stood up and embraced her mother. “I’m going to miss you, Mama,” she murmured. “I won’t forget my promise.”

 

“I know you won’t,” Elsa replied, hugging her daughter as if she couldn’t bear to let her go. “I love you.”

 

“I love you, Mama,” Erika whispered. They stayed like that for several long moments, clasped in each other’s arms, until Elsa gently pulled away. “I have to let you go,” she said quietly.

 

Arvik and Klaus stood next to their mother, little faces solemn. As Erika picked up her bags and turned to leave the castle, Klaus’s eyes filled with tears. A moment later, he and Arvik were both crying.

 

“Oh...oh no.” Anna tried her best to console her sons, but they simply wailed louder.

 

“Don’t...want...’Rika...to...goooo,” Arvik howled.

 

“‘Rika stay!” Klaus wept. He broke free from his mother and clung to Erika’s leg. “No go!”

 

Erika suddenly had a flash of inspiration. She opened her small purse and pulled something out, gently peeling Klaus off her leg and setting him next to his brother. 

 

“Arvik, Klaus,” she said, crouching in front of the boys. “I have to go to Auradon. I don’t want to leave any more than you want me to, but I have to. I'm going to go to a fancy school in Auradon, and I’m going to be away for a while. So...” she held out the small object in her hand. “I need someone to take care of Sir Jorgen-Borgen for me. Do you two think you can do that?”

 

Arvik sniffed and nodded. Klaus picked up the toy and cuddled him close. “Come back soon, ‘Rika,” he whispered.

 

“I’ll come back as soon as I can,” she said, and straightened up. Elsa smiled at her, and Anna mouthed the words “thank you."

 

Erika sighed. Blinking back tears, she turned and walked through the doors.

 

_Uncle Kristoff was right. I think this_ is  _the whole kingdom._

 

Thousands of people crowded the courtyard, with more pressing in from outside. Erika spotted Wandering Oaken, Marshmallow and several snowgies, and even a few rock trolls in the flood of cheering, waving figures. As Erika stepped forward, the crowd parted, creating a path for the princess. 

 

Erika looked around her, her heart swelling as she looked at the hundreds and hundreds of people who had come to wish her farewell. She suddenly wanted to say a long, heartfelt goodbye to each and every one of them, but the ship from Auradon wouldn't wait forever. So Erika did the next best thing.

 

She froze the water in the fountains into stunning, crystalline formations, then created a small snowstorm between the palms of her hands and sent it up to the sky. _"Ha det!"_ she cried as it exploded, sending snow showering over the crowd. 

 

Instantly, they took up her words. Women waved handkerchiefs, men waved hats. Cries of " _Ha det!"_ and " _Farvel_ _!"_ poured from thousands of throats as Erika boarded the ship, cheering following her and ringing over the mountains.

 

_Arendelle is coming, Auradon. Ready or not._

 

 

 

God morgen- good morning

Ha det- goodbye

Farvel- farewell 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, guys! Oh, I can't believe I finally posted this story!! It's been YEARS since Erika first sprouted in my mind. So excited to put my girl's story out for the world!!


	3. Winter’s Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fairy Godmother gives Erika a gift that is not well received.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the next installment, readers! Erika gets into some emotions with this one, and someone from the movies makes an appearance.

  ~~~~Erika looked around her in wonder as she stepped from the shiny black limousine that had brought her from the docks when her ship had landed. _So this is Auradon Prep. Much, much bigger than I thought it would be_. A wave of loneliness suddenly swept over her, longing for the familiarity of her own kingdom and her family. She forced it back. _You can do this. You can do this_. Erika kept her face calm, making herself focus on the sheer beauty of the extensive school grounds.

 

Hedges cut in neat patterns lined the cobblestone paths, winding around almost up to the huge double doors of an old-fashioned stone castle. The castle had obviously been repurposed to serve as Auradon Prep. Colorful banners hung from the towers, the emblems of several kingdoms. There were several banners that Erika didn’t know, but she recognized the pastel blue of Cinderella and Prince Charming’s sigil, the bright purple and teal of Ariel and Eric’s undersea realm, and, of course, the unmistakable yellow and red of Belle and Beast. She almost smirked as she spotted a large bronze statue of King Beast in front of the castle. _That’s what Belle fell in love with? Maybe he has a great personality to make up for all the…hair._

Erika cocked her head to the side, frowning as she studied the banners. Every kingdom in Auradon was represented on the walls of the school. There was even a purple, green, and black banner that Erika didn’t recognize. But Arendelle’s green and gold crocus crest was missing. _Maybe they only hang the banners once a student from each kingdom comes to the school_ , she thought. _I’m the first student from Arendelle, so maybe they’ll put up one for us as soon as I’m settled in._ But there was an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach as she stared up at the stone walls.

Erika opened her hand, letting ice form into the familiar crocus shape above her hand, turning slowly like a figurine in a snow globe. She held it up to an empty space on the wall, imagining what the Arendelle banner would look like.

“Goodness me, child!”

Erika jumped, whirling around to see who had spoken to her. The crocus dissipated, her concentration broken.

A short, plump woman in a blue outfit hurried down one of the paths toward Erika. She clutched a wooden box to her chest and wore an anxious, disappointed look on her round face. Erika turned over names in her mind, trying to puzzle out who she could be.

“We don’t allow magic here at the school, my dear,” the woman fretted, her voice fluttering like bird’s wings. “It’s dangerous, unpredictable. Too many incidents with my wand…”

_Oh. This is Fairy Godmother._ Erika had heard of her, but didn’t know very much about her. She smiled slightly. “Yes, I heard about those. The latest was with a squid-girl, right?”

Fairy Godmother sighed, her eyes glazing over as she stared off into the distance, completely forgetting to answer Erika’s question. She shook herself and then smiled. “I’m Fairy Godmother, my girl. Welcome to Auradon Prep.”

Erika swept into a deep, graceful curtsy. “Princess Erika of Arendelle,” she said, straightening up and flicking her hair back.

Fairy Godmother’s smile strained a bit. “Yes, dear, I know who you are. That little…display removed any doubt.” She looked pointedly at Erika’s hand. “Erika, dear, magic of any kind at this school- in this kingdom- is expressly forbidden. You know that, right?”

Erika nodded. “Yes. My mother told me before I left.”

Fairy Godmother let out her breath. “Ah, your mother. A prime example of what can happen when magic isn’t controlled. You inherited her abilities?”

Erika struggled to keep her face calm, but anger rose up in her stomach at the slight to her mother. “Yes, I did,” she answered stiffly. “I’m still learning how to use them, though.”

“Mm, mm, mm,” Fairy Godmother murmured. She pursed her lips. “Are your powers as strong as Queen Elsa’s?”

Erika frowned. She’d never even thought about it. “I don’t know,” she replied. “I haven’t set off any blizzards or anything.”

Fairy Godmother clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “Oh, dear. This isn’t a good situation. Untested magic abilities are always unpredictable. Especially powers connected to emotions. Dangerous in any circumstances. If her powers are half as strong as the queen’s…” She shifted her feet, muttering to herself. After a moment, she looked up, seeming to remember that Erika was there. “Well, Erika, dear, I was afraid of this. You’ve used your powers freely in Arendelle?”

“Of course,” Erika responded. “Mama doesn’t want me to hold them back the way she did. I use them whenever I want. Ice and snow come in more handy than you might think.”

Fairy Godmother shook her head. “That’s going to have to change, dear. Magic isn’t allowed in Auradon. It’s far too dangerous. Unpredictable, uncontrollable, and unsafe for everyone on campus. Students who bring magic items are supposed to give them to me for safekeeping in the museum. Everything connected to magic is stored in there- my wand, Jafar’s staff, what’s left of Rapunzel’s Sundrop, Phillip’s magic sword and shield, Beast’s enchanted rose, Triton’s trident, Aurora’s spinning wheel, everything. We even have some donations from the students- Evie gave up her magic mirror, and Lady Mal surrendered her spell book after the last attempt at stealing my wand. Unfortunately, your powers aren’t tied to an object, so they’re going to be harder to conceal.” She sighed deeply and then smiled again. “I’m sure you won’t have any problems, dear. But just in case…” She held out the wooden box. “I found you something that may help you keep your powers under control. I mean, it’s not foolproof, but it’ll still be effective. Hopefully.”

Curious, Erika took the box, lifting the lid. A chill shot through her body. She slammed the lid shut and looked Fairy Godmother straight in the eye.

“How _dare_ you?”

Startled, the woman took a step back, her hands fluttering anxiously as she stared at Erika in surprise. “H-how dare I what, dear? Don’t you like them?”

Erika forgot all about keeping up a calm appearance. She flung the box to the ground, watching as the lid popped open and a pair of white satin gloves spilled out onto the stones. She clenched her hands into fists, feeling ice slowly coat them. “Gloves,” she spat. “Like the ones my mother used for years.”

“Yes, of course,” Fairy Godmother said. “We heard about that. It seemed effective for her, so we thought it might help you keep your powers under control. What’s the matter, sweetheart? Are they the wrong color?”

Anger swirled in Erika’s heart. “I won’t wear them,” she declared. “I will _not_ hide my powers. I never have, and I never will.” Cold fury washed over her as she glared at Fairy Godmother. “Gloves only helped imprison my mother. They forced her to hide her emotions, hide who she really was. I promised Mama that I wouldn’t do the same thing.” She lifted her chin. “I intend to keep that promise.”

“Oh, dear,” Fairy Godmother sighed. “Erika, you do understand that your magic is dangerous, right? If you refuse to hide your powers, you put everyone in this school at risk, even yourself. Your powers and your mother’s are connected to your emotions. If you were to get too stressed, or angry, or sad, it could have devastating consequences to Auradon. We just can’t chance it, dear.” She bent and picked up the gloves, holding them out. “I’m not asking much, dear,” she said, a hint of severity entering her soft voice.

“You’re asking me to conceal who I am,” Erika shot back.

“It’s for the safety of the kingdom, Erika! What if someone were to offend you, and your emotions grew so out of control that you set off another eternal winter? It’s too dangerous to use such unpredictable powers on campus!”

Erika sighed. “Then I won’t,” she said softly.

“It doesn’t work that way,” Fairy Godmother replied. “We need to have some assurance that you can master your emotions enough to not be a threat.”

“I’m angry right now,” Erika informed her. “I’ve had to resist freezing those gloves solid for the last five minutes. And I haven’t.” She held up her now normal hands. “See? No ice. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll keep my powers hidden for a week. If I don’t lose control, you’ll let me use them when I’m alone. If I do lose control-“ she sighed, trying to reconcile what she was about to say. _Don’t worry, Mama. You’ll see. I have a plan._ “If I lose control, I’ll wear the gloves until I return to Arendelle.”

“I-I suppose we could try it,” Fairy Godmother conceded. “It’s a risk, but I suppose we can chance it. Just this once.” She sighed. “Only when you’re completely alone, though, Erika. No one must ever see you use your powers.”

Erika nodded. “I understand.”

Fairy Godmother’s sunny smile reappeared on her face, and she clapped her hands. “Excellent. Then I’ll show you to your room, and you can get settled in. I think you’ll feel right at home once you see your room.”

* * *

Erika sat alone on her bed, twisting her snowflake charm in her hands. She had been told that she would have a roommate, although she had yet to meet her. The room was quite pretty, her side decorated in her favorite shades of white and blue, accented with silver. Her bed’s curling scrollwork frame was white, but the bedding was turquoise blue, the color of her mother’s favorite dress. Erika ran a hand over the soft material. _I’m sorry, Mama. I had to make Fairy Godmother think I wouldn’t use my gift. I made two promises, Mama, but I’m only going to keep one._ She scoffed. _She gave me gloves, Mama. She actually expected me to wear them. Do they not know what you went through when you were my age? Or do they just skip that part and go straight to the eternal winter? Mama, they say I’m dangerous. Unpredictable. Is it wrong that I like that?_

Erika remembered the stories her mother and aunt had told her as a little girl. Elsa had told her everything- from the tragic death of Erika’s grandparents, to the rock trolls that had raised Erika’s uncle-in-law, to the traitorous Prince Hans and his schemes, all the way to Elsa’s near-death and Anna’s brave sacrifice. Elsa had told her about her flight up the North Mountain, how she had decided to let herself go instead of holding her powers back, how she had created Olaf, and how she had built a palace of ice, a refuge, on the peak of the mountain. Erika had been up there several times. She and her mother went to the ice palace at the height of every summer, when the heat got to be too much for them. As a little girl, Erika had played with Marshmallow and the snowgies for hours on end, snow and ice flowing freely from her hands. She remembered how excited she’d been at twelve, when one of her sneezes had created two tiny snowgies. She remembered how her mother had added a room to the palace just for her, the ice that made the walls tinged blue and happy, Erika's own unique snowflake imprinted on the floor. She remembered touching the purple and red ice of the room where Elsa had frozen her sister’s heart, and the yellow walls where the Duke of Weselton’s men had attacked Elsa. She remembered when her mother had shown her the shards of ice from the fallen crystal that had knocked Elsa unconscious and allowed Hans to capture her. She remembered the walls of the room changing to blue and white as she and her mother, together, created a new one from the shattered pieces of the old. The ice palace had been cold and comfortable, a refuge for Elsa and her daughter, snow queen and ice princess.

Erika waved her hand over the bed, and a sheet of frost covered the blanket. She touched it, feeling the comforting chill of the icy cold that never bothered her. She smiled. _Fairy Godmother was right. I do feel right at home._

 


	4. Winter’s Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika meets her roommate, as well as the one person in Auradon that everyone has heard about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! I have writer’s block. Wait, no- barricade is more accurate. I have writer’s barricade. Ugh, it was all I could do to squeeze out this next chapter, but oh well, here we go.

Erika flung herself down on her bed, enjoying the cold against her skin. She touched her hand to her leg and smiled as she felt frost crawling over her clothes, chilling her to the bone.

 

The door slammed open.

 

Erika whirled, her hand shooting out. At the last second, she stopped herself from blasting ice at the intruder. _I have to keep up appearances for Fairy Godmother._

 

"Did I scare ya?"

 

A slim girl with a halo of wild red curls stood in the doorway, a green plaid bag in her hand. Erika relaxed. _This must be my roommate_. "You did startle me," she said. "But I'm fine now."

 

The girl frowned. “Ya scare easy,” she remarked. Erika raised her eyebrow at her roommate’s thick, rolling accent. _Where is she from? I’ve never met anyone who speaks the way she does_. Erika mentally ran through the kingdoms she knew about. _Neverland, Agrabah, Corona, Camelot…_

 

“Hey!”

 

Erika jumped. “Stop doing that!” she demanded, clenching her fists against the ice that threatened to fly from her hand.

 

The girl tossed her bag onto the other bed and flopped down after it, smirking. “You’re more skittish than a rabbit during a hunt,” she said, crossing her arms behind her head and kicking off a pair of scuffed boots.

 

Erika huffed. “I am not skittish,” she answered pointedly. “I didn’t expect you to come bursting in here like an angry polar bear.”

 

“I like bears,” the girl commented off-handedly. She stuck out her hand. “I’m Mollie of Dunbroch.”

 

Erika narrowed her eyes as she thought. _Dunbroch? Where’s Dunbroch?_

 

“Cat got your tongue?” Mollie asked. “Or lost in thought?”

 

“Hmm?” Erika looked up and saw Mollie’s hand. “Oh. Sorry.” She stood up and made a small curtsy. “I’m Erika of Arendelle.”

 

Mollie frowned again. “You’re one of those proper princess types, aren’t ya?” she said. “Drat. I was hopin’ me roommate would be the kind who would want to shoot with me.” She slung a longbow over the bedpost and propped a quiver full of arrows against it, shrugging when they slid down. “Oh, well.” She leaned forward, grabbed Erika’s hand, and shook it. “That’s how ya greet someone, blondie.”

 

“Don’t call me that,” Erika replied, pulling her hand back.

 

“You’re freezing!” Mollie gasped. “I think you gave me frostbite!” She rubbed her hand on her dark green shirt. “What, ya have ice for blood or somethin’?”

 

“Something like that,” Erika answered. _It’s actually ice_ in _my blood, but ice-blood works too._

 

“Oh. You’re the daughter of that ice witch,” Mollie realized. “The one who-“

 

“My mother is not a witch,” Erika hissed, frost crawling over her feet inside her heels. “She is a queen.” _No ice, remember? Control it._ She let out her breath slowly, clenching and unclenching her fists, and the ice receded.

 

“So’s my mum,” Mollie said. “Queen o’ Dunbroch. Which makes me princess.” She stuck out her tongue. “Granny’s tryin’ ta make me inta a lady, but she’s not havin’ much luck.”

 

“I noticed,” Erika said dryly.

 

“So, ya have your mum’s powers, too?” Mollie asked curiously. “Ya certainly got the hair.” She eyed Erika’s nearly-white strands. “I got me mum’s hair, too. Pain in the neck to brush.” She shook her wild curls and shoved them over her shoulders.

 

“I’m sure,” Erika answered, watching the mass of red frizz bounce over Mollie’s back.

 

“So…wha’ aboot it?” Mollie said, tapping her fingers on her legs and leaning forward excitedly. “Ya have powers, or not?”

 

Erika weighed her words carefully. “Yes, I do,” she answered finally. “But I’m not allowed to use them in front of people.”

 

Mollie slumped. “Aw, I wanted ta see ya set off a blizzard or somethin’.”

 

“I can’t,” Erika said. “I’m not as powerful as Mama. I’ve been honing my powers, but they’re probably never going to be as strong as Mama’s. She created _living snowmen_. I haven’t even tried that yet.” She smiled ruefully. “I’m a long way from covering Auradon in twelve feet of snow.” _Besides, I’m not a circus attraction. I don’t show my powers to satisfy strangers’ curiosity._

 

“Mum says we felt the blizzard in Dunbroch,” Mollie said. “She says that there was a little snow in the middle o’ summer, but that it stopped before it started to pile up. Was that really your mum’s work?”

 

“Yes, Mama’s blizzard was expanding,” Erika answered. “If Mama and Aunt Anna hadn’t found a way to unfreeze it, the eternal winter would have covered the whole of Auradon and beyond. It would have spread over the globe.”

 

“That’s terrifying,” Mollie declared, batting her curls back for the third time.

 

Surprised, Erika shook her head. “It’s amazing. Mama may very well be the most powerful being in all of Auradon. It’s never been tested, but she probably has more magic than anyone- Triton, Merlin, the good fairies, even Maleficent.”

 

“Did I hear my name?” someone said from the doorway.

 

Erika clenched her fist around an ice-spiked snowball. “Does everyone in this school make a habit of sneaking up on new students?” she snapped, turning to face the newcomer.

 

A short girl lounged against the doorframe, purple hair framing a pale face and bright green eyes. She was dressed head to toe in leather and metal spikes, splattered with purple and green paint. Her smile was warm and genuine, but sharp as a dagger as she observed Erika and Mollie.

 

“You’re Mal!” Mollie gaped, staring at the girl whose name had grown famous throughout Auradon.

 

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” Mal acknowledged. She crossed one leg over the other. “I’m supposed to be welcoming new students today. Ben’s idea.”

 

Mollie seemed to be having a hard time breathing. “Ya stopped your mum from taking Fairy Godmother’s wand!” she choked out.

 

“And then we stopped Uma from doing the same thing,” Mal added. “All of us- me, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Ben, Lonnie- it was a team effort.” She stepped inside the room and shook Mollie’s hand. “Merida’s daughter, right? Welcome to Auradon Prep.”

 

Mollie grinned. “Pleased ta meet ya,” she answered. “I’m Mollie.”

 

“You already know who I am,” Mal replied easily. She turned to Erika and extended her hand. Erika took it hesitantly.

 

“Cool,” Mal joked at Erika’s chilling touch. “Erika, Elsa’s daughter. Welcome to Auradon.”

 

“ _Queen_ Elsa,” Erika corrected. “We’re still royalty.”

 

Mal turned her emerald eyes to her, staring her down. Erika met her with a steely gaze of her own, her blue eyes just as hard as Mal’s. Finally, Mal broke off. “Yeah. Queen Elsa,” she said, turning to leave. “Oh. I’m supposed to ask this. How’s your first day going so far?”

 

“Just great!” Mollie answered cheerfully, grinning.

 

Erika pressed her legs into the frost-covered bed again _. Let’s see. I had to leave my family and my kingdom to go to an unfamiliar school, I was forbidden from using my powers which forced me to break the promise I made to my mother, and I was nearly made to wear a pair of gloves to help me control it. How do you think I’m doing, Lady Mal?_

 

“Well?” Mal pressed.

 

Erika lifted her head, smiling sweetly. “It’s going just fine.”

* * *

 

Erika frowned as a delicate tracery of frost crawled over her syllabus, glad Mollie had left to find a place to shoot her longbow. “ _Slutt med det,_ ” she muttered. “Control it.” She shook the paper, watching as the tiny shards of ice fell to the floor. “Okay, let me see.” She scanned the paper, which listed her schedule.

 

Magical History was up first. _I wonder what they’ll say about Mama? Or will they just skip over her completely?_ For some reason, no one in Auradon seemed to want to talk about Arendelle, like it didn’t exist. Erika let a small smile cross her face. _Guess I’ll just have to make it impossible to overlook._

 

Chemistry was next. Erika frowned. _What is that? Is that potions? Why do they teach that?_ She shook her head. _I’ll find out, I suppose._

 

Third period was Grammar. Erika scoffed. _Really? Is that necessary?_ She could score top of the class in Grammar with her eyes closed.

 

The fourth class was History of Auradon, and then came lunch and recess, followed by four more classes. Erika didn’t really care one way or the other about the history of Beast’s united kingdoms, but she was curious to see if the class would mention Arendelle. Erika’s uncle had gone to Ben’s coronation, so the other kingdoms definitely knew that Arendelle was part of Auradon. But for some reason, Auradon itself was unwilling to acknowledge the little kingdom. Erika wanted to know why.

 

Erika skimmed over the next few classes. _Mathematics, History of Woodsmen and Pirates, Safety Rules for the Internet_ … _the Internet? What’s the Internet?_ Arendelle was a very isolated kingdom, surrounded on three sides by treacherous mountains and on the other side by a deep fjord, so they weren’t as up-to-date as the other kingdoms. They had refused to let go of their old customs and traditions; most of the people still spoke the old language and wore some semblance of the traditional clothing. Auradon had never managed to fully turn Arendelle into one of its small territories.

 

Getting used to the modern life of Auradon was going to be tricky. As for mathematics, that would be fairly easy. Erika frowned at the History of Woodsmen and Pirates class. Her idea of woodsmen and pirates was ice harvesters and Vikings. _This is not going to be a smooth transition, is it?_

 

Erika set down the syllabus with a sigh. Homesickness was setting in. She stood up, went to the window, and looked out, hoping to catch a faraway glimpse of snowcapped mountains and turquoise fjords. But all she saw was the green grass and stone walls of Auradon. _It hasn’t even been a full day and I’m already homesick._ She missed training with her powers, playing with Arvik and Klaus, riding through the woods in her uncle’s sled, and visiting Marshmallow and the snowgies. She missed Olaf’s clumsiness and unintentional jokes, Kristoff’s reindeer voice and constant cheerfulness, and her aunt’s musical laugh and adventurous spirit. Most of all, Erika missed her mother’s gentle, frostbitten touch on her shoulder as she mastered another new skill with her ice and snow. Tears stung her eyes, and one slipped down her face, freezing and blooming into a frosted flower on her cheek. Erika savagely swiped it away. She sat back down on her bed, rubbing her hands on her legs and allowing the icy patterns to cover her skin, letting the chill seep in down to her bones. The cold comforted her in a way nothing else could.

 

Erika’s eyes flicked to the syllabus, abandoned on the floor. There was one more class she hadn’t looked at. She picked up the paper and stared at the words written on the page.

 

Life Skills Without Magic.

 

Beside the class name was a note, written in pale blue ink with just a hint of glitter. _You really should work hard on this one, Erika, dear._ A tiny pumpkin had been drawn beneath the pretty cursive handwriting that Erika knew belonged to Fairy Godmother.

 

Erika’s mouth dropped. _First gloves, now this? Are they purposely trying to make me break my promise to Mama?_ Anger swelled in her chest at the thought.

 

Erika flung herself back on her bed, a scream of rage erupting from her. Spikes of bright red ice shot up around her bed, but she didn’t care. “I am not going to hide my powers!” she shouted, hurling several snowballs in quick succession at the ceiling. “They can’t make me!” Ice spilled over the window, floor, and walls.

 

Erika clenched her fists, breathing deeply. It had felt good to release her fury, but she had to clean up the ice before anyone saw it. She waved her hand over the room, watching as the ice dissipated into brilliant crimson specks, floating around the room. With Elsa and Erika’s powers, even anger was beautiful.

 

Outside the door, a shadowy figure moved away from the keyhole.

 

 

Slutt med det- stop it

 

 


	5. Winter’s Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An accident in class leads to an understanding between Erika and Fairy Godmother, and Erika meets a few people who are famous in Auradon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strap in, guys, this is gonna be a long introduction.
> 
> First things first, I was devastated to learn of Cameron Boyce’s death. He was one of my favorite actors in Descendants, and that he died so young is a tragedy that many people won’t be forgetting anytime soon. I cried watching China Anne McClain’s video, and seeing Wendy Raquel’s tribute broke my heart. My heart goes out to his family and friends.  
> One other thing: Using the IMovie app, I’ve put together a trailer for this story. It’s not insanely, mouth-droppingly good, since I have about zero editing skills, but it gets the point across. It’s just clips I cut from different YouTube videos and pasted together, and there is a watermark on the side from the video trimmer I used, but overall it does count as a trailer. Sadly, I’m not able to post it on Archive of Our Own, but if you guys want to see it, email me at phoenixfeatherfletching@yahoo.com, and I’ll reply with the video.  
> Here’s chapter five, guys! It’s a bit longer than usual. Enjoy!

Erika frowned at the brown leather of her Magical History textbook. Up at the front of the classroom, Fairy Godmother was giving a lecture on why it was so important to learn about the history of magic, because it helped them see why they shouldn’t use magic today. Erika straightened her back, crossed her ankles over each other, and folded her hands on her desk.

 _There. Every inch a princess_. Erika had learned long ago to make herself look perfect. It was second nature now, and seemed to be what Auradon expected of her.

“Turn to page four,” Fairy Godmother instructed, fluttering over to stand in front of the chalkboard. She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the board in the pretty cursive Erika recognized from the note on her syllabus, sans the tiny pumpkin. “We’ll be reading and discussing the first chapter today- Magic Wands and Those Who Used Them.” She beamed at the class. “I have personal experience with this one.”

_I bet._

Erika flipped open to the table of contents and scanned it _. Good Sorcerers Through History, Triton’s Trident, Fairy Magic, The Magic of Neverland, The Sundrop and the Moonstone, Magical Transformations, Magic in Olympus, Good Fairies and Good Witches, Wonderland’s Magic, Genies and Lamps,_ and _Swords and Stones_ made up the first half. The second half had a more sinister feel, since it discussed villains using magic. _Spells and Curses, Potions and Poisons, Bad Fairies and Bad Witches, Hypnotizing Magic, The Isle Barrier and Other Modern Magic, Evil Sorcerers, Magic With A Price,_ and finally _A Complete List of Magic-Wielders Both Good and Wicked._ Erika risked a glance at Fairy Godmother and paged to the list. Her eyes widened.

_I had no idea there was so much magic anywhere!_

Arendelle was one of the least magical kingdoms in Auradon. Until Elsa came along with her mysterious powers, the only connection with magic they had had was the rock trolls, who pretty much kept to themselves.

Erika checked again to make sure Fairy Godmother wasn’t watching her, and started reading the list of names, fascinated by these people she had never heard of, people who were like her and her mother. Gold, swirly writing at the top of the page read “Good”, and the paper was decorated with wands, glass slippers, golden lamps, and wizards’ hats. Erika didn’t know any of the names, but kingdom names and small illustrations beside each one gave her an image.

Enchantress, Auradon Central

Fairy Godmother, Cinderellasburg

Fawn, Neverland

Genie, Agrabah

Iridessa, Neverland

Merlin, Camelot Heights

Nyx, Neverland

Peter Pan, Neverland

Rapunzel, Corona

Rosetta, Neverland

Silvermist, Neverland

Tinkerbell, Neverland

Triton, Atlantica

Vidia, Neverland

Yen Sid, Faraway

Zeus, Olympus

Erika skimmed over the rest of the names. She was disappointed, but not very surprised to find that her mother’s name was not listed. Auradon seemed to be trying to forget Arendelle. _But why?_

She turned the page and found herself confronted with a very different list of names. The black, spiked writing at the top read “Wicked”. The page was decorated with bubbling cauldrons, black cats, and shattered mirrors. Erika looked at the first name on the page, and her breath choked her.

_No! No, no, no!_

That horrible, black, thorny writing that had marked the page with the word “Wicked” spilled across the creamy paper like an ink stain, spelling out two words that pierced Erika’s heart.

Elsa, Arendelle.

Beside the words was a small picture, one that Erika recognized immediately. She had seen that white-blonde hair in a loose braid, pale skin, turquoise fabric, and clear blue eyes a thousand times. But her mother’s familiar face had been darkened and distorted, shadowy light giving a villainous air to Elsa’s usual beauty, adding a malicious gleam to her eyes.

Erika stared at the portrait, horror settling over her chest, heavier than a boulder. Her lungs refused to work as her eyes met the vicious ones on the page. _That is not my mother. That is a monster._

Erika’s eyes were locked to the picture, unable to pull away. She was frozen, numb, too shocked even for anger.

“Erika? Are you all right?”

Erika finally tore her eyes from the list to find Fairy Godmother and most of the students staring at her.

The urge to run swept over her, sending shivers down her spine. Erika wasn’t used to fear, but she felt it now. She took in a shaky breath and immediately wished she hadn’t. The air in the classroom felt hot, smothering her, burning her, searing her lungs.

“Erika?”

Erika clung to the edge of her desk, unable to answer. Her vision turned black and white, and her head throbbed. The noise of the class spun around her in a dizzying whirlwind.

The last thing she remembered was falling.

* * *

 

“Erika, wake up, dear,” a soft voice said. Erika opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light that attacked them.

“Mama?” she whispered. “Mama, what happened?”

Something blue was bending over her, and Erika sighed as the soft fabric of her mother’s dress brushed against her skin. But it felt wrong, somehow. The dress was too soft, too gentle, nothing like the ice fibers that wove together Elsa’s favorite gown. Compared to hers, this fabric felt almost _warm._

Erika blinked, and the blue blotch came into focus.

“There you go, darling,” Fairy Godmother soothed. “Don’t try to sit up just yet, dear. You took a nasty fall.”

“I fell?” Erika tried to look around, but she didn’t recognize the small room she was in. She lay on a small, comfortable cot. Her heels were gone, and something wet lay against her bare feet. “What is this?”

“You’re in the nurse’s office,” Fairy Godmother told her. “Nurse Flora is fetching some more ice. She’ll be back in a minute.”

_Ice! Please, tell me I didn’t do anything while I was unconscious!_

Erika frowned. There was something on her forehead, something comfortingly cold. But there was pain beneath it, a tingling sensation that she didn’t recognize. She put her hand to her head and felt something crack and slide away beneath her fingertips. She dropped her hand, staring at the small sheet of ice lying in her palm.

The ice was blood-red. More specifically, it _was_ blood, frozen solid against her icy skin. Erika looked back up to Fairy Godmother. Surprisingly, the fairy didn’t look upset that Erika’s powers had kicked in.

“Why am I bleeding?” Erika asked, wincing as she felt another small trickle of blood dribble from the small cut on her temple. It froze immediately, blooming into a red pattern of frost just over Erika’s right eye.

“You hit your head on the corner of your desk,” Fairy Godmother explained. “It’s nothing serious, just a scratch.” The door opened, and she looked up. “Nurse Flora! You brought more ice?”

A gray-haired, smiling woman in a red outfit stepped into Erika’s view, holding a bucket. “Yes, I did,” she answered, handing the bucket to Fairy Godmother. The headmistress scooped out a handful and laid it against Erika’s arm.

“Is that better, dear?” she asked.

 _You have no idea,_ Erika thought gratefully. The chill shot through her body, cooling it the way nothing else could. The ice wasn’t as cold as her own frost, but since she couldn’t use that in front of Fairy Godmother, it would do.

“Yes,” she replied, struggling to sit up. Fairy Godmother helped support her shoulders, and Flora slipped a pillow behind her. “What happened to me?”

Fairy Godmother sighed. “I suppose, in a way, it was my fault,” she admitted. “I knew your powers were connected with your emotions, but I didn’t realize that they were connected to your body as well. From what we could tell, you simply got too hot. Since, on my request, you weren’t using your powers to keep it cool, your body couldn’t take the heat, and you collapsed.”

“That’s how your powers work,” Flora added. “You have to be much colder than other people in order for you to function. If you get too hot, you could even die.” She looked at Fairy Godmother. “So, is there anything you want to tell her?”

Fairy Godmother sighed, twisting the fabric of her dress in her hands. “Erika, I am so sorry this happened. I didn’t realize that withholding your powers would affect you so badly.” She looked up. “I’m canceling our deal. You can use your ice to keep you comfortable on school grounds- and you don't have to wear the gloves. And I’ll speak to the king about allowing you to use it in the rest of Auradon as well.”

“Really?” Erika was shocked that Fairy Godmother would permit anyone to use magic in her school, but she wasn’t complaining. She touched a hand to her shoulder, breathing out in relief as frost crept over her skin. She didn’t limit it to her legs and arms this time, letting a layer of ice cover her entire body, even allowing a sheen of frost to form on her face. Fairy Godmother looked strained at the obvious use of magic, but she said nothing.

“If you’re feeling up to it, dear, I can walk you to the cafeteria,” Flora offered. “The other students are there eating lunch already.”

Erika nodded and slid from the cot, concentrating to make sure that no ice escaped from her feet. Reluctantly, she slipped them back into her heels.

“Let’s go,” she said.

* * *

 

Erika sat alone at a table in the cafeteria. She had tried and failed to find something that looked familiar, and had finally settled on a strange-looking sandwich. She had no idea what was in it.

_I’m guessing it’s not reindeer._

Erika pulled off the top piece of bread and set it aside. Now she could at least recognize it as a sandwich. She took a tentative bite.

 _Not as good as_ stekt fisk _, or anything else I’ve ever eaten, for that matter. But it isn’t bad._

“Hey there.”

Erika jumped, turning to find a boy she didn’t recognize leaning on the table and smiling at her. She sighed. _Another person sneaking up on me._

“Yes?” she said, turning back to her sandwich.

“Just wanted to properly introduce myself,” he said. He was tall and bronze, handsome in an exotic way. Long black hair had been tucked under a red cap. “I’m Jay.”

Erika extended her hand. “Erika,” she said. “Of Arendelle.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “You and I got acquainted earlier today.”

Erika frowned. “What are you talking about?” she asked. “I’ve never met you before.” She took another bite of sandwich.

“Well, not officially,” Jay conceded. “But you didn’t think you got to the nurse’s office by yourself, did you?”

Erika choked. _This boy carried me?_ A hot flush of embarrassment crept into her face. “Well,” she said finally. “Thank you.” She touched her finger to her cheeks to cool them down.

“Hey, that’s cool,” Jay remarked, watching her. “Guess that would explain how cold you felt.”

“I’m usually much colder,” Erika replied. “If I kept myself as cold as I can, I’d give everyone within a four-foot radius frostbite.”

“No kidding,” Jay said. “So-“

He was cut off by another student running up to him. “Jay, do you _have_ to flirt with every girl you see?” the newcomer complained. He was much shorter than Erika, with black-and-white hair and an outfit that was mostly those colors with a splash of red.

“Only the pretty ones,” Jay answered, winking at Erika. She blushed again.

“You’re an idiot,” the smaller boy declared. He turned to Erika and waved. “Hi. I’m Carlos. Don’t mind him, he’s weird.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Jay.

“I’m not-“ Jay started to say, but he was interrupted again, this time by a blue-haired girl close to Erika’s own height. “Jay, Carlos,” she said. “Mal wants to talk to you.”

Jay grinned at Erika. “Catch you later?”

“Um…” Erika started to answer. The blue-haired girl rolled her eyes.

“Ignore him,” she advised. “Both of you, go. Mal’s waiting.” Erika watched them leave, a small chuckle escaping her as she watched the small dog bouncing along at their heels. In a strange way, the dog reminded her of Olaf.

“I haven’t seen you before,” the girl said. “I’m Evie.”

“Erika,” Erika introduced herself. “I just arrived a few days ago.”

“Oh,” Evie said. “I don’t mean anything bad by this, but isn’t that a strange way to eat a sandwich?”

Erika looked down at her food. “It’s how we do it back in my kingdom,” she said.

“What kingdom?”

“Arendelle,” Erika answered.

“Never heard of it,” Evie said, “Hey, can I ask you another question?”

“Sure,” Erika replied. _Don’t ask about the ice, please don’t ask about the ice._

Evie leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. “How do you look so good?” she asked. “Makeup?”

“I don’t wear makeup,” Erika answered, blushing for a third time at the compliment.

“No way!” Evie responded. “Seriously? That’s just natural? You need to give me some pointers some time.”

“Okay,” Erika agreed, “but I doubt I can teach you everything I can do.”

“You never know,” Evie said, standing up. “Well, I gotta go. I promised Doug I’d meet him by the bleachers, and he hates it if I’m late. Bye!”

Erika waved as Evie walked away. She was pleasantly surprised that someone had noticed something besides the ice. Usually, that was what people saw first, and although in Arendelle it marked Erika as the princess, in Auradon it marked her as strange. But this Evie girl had completely bypassed the obvious- the frost glimmering on Erika’s face- and had gone right into a sincere-sounding compliment. It made Erika’s body warm with happiness, and she was almost reluctant to cool it down.

_Maybe school in Auradon won’t be so bad._

But then she remembered the malevolent eyes of Elsa’s portrait, and the icy shell around her heart hardened, just a bit.


	6. Winter’s Rule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika meets another new face, who at first glance seems to be just like her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who’s stuck with this story, thank you so much. It means a lot that Erika’s story is actually being acknowledged instead of ignored and treated as a copy. Even if you’ve just been reading the new chapters, not leaving kudos or comments, I still appreciate every single hit I get.  
> Now, to those people who have been reading this story to find things to hate about it: I don’t mind. I can’t make people take my word for what it is, and I can’t make people like my story. But I’ll admit, it was hard when the hate comments stopped for almost a month, and then suddenly a new comment appears, telling me all about how I’ll never match up to other authors. That’s hard, and it’s forced me to make this announcement.  
> To anyone looking to hate my story, please, by all means, continue. Hate my story, hate me- but don’t tell me about it. If you’re done with my story, just be done. Don’t tell me that you’re done. I don’t need to know that you hate my story.  
> Anyway, on to chapter six.

Erika pulled the brush easily through her white-blond hair. She never had a problem with tangles. Once she styled her hair, she kept it in place with a thin sheet of frost. Today, she decided to put it in a loose side braid, like the one her mother usually wore. She tied off the braid and studied herself in the mirror.

_Something’s missing…_

Erika held up her hand and watched as a tiny snowflake formed in her palm. She held it up- her fingers were never warm enough to melt ice- and blew out her breath. Frost coated the tiny snowflake, a special kind that Erika rarely used. This frost would never melt, even if it was exposed to flames. Erika had a small box in her room in Arendelle, filled with tiny ornaments she had crafted from ice and frozen with frost.

Erika froze the snowflake over the end of the braid and looked in the mirror again. _Now it’s perfect._ She examined her outfit, a short blue dress and white flats. She frowned, touched her leg, and smiled as she felt a soothing chill run over her body, frost blossoming into delicate patterns over her skin. She set a hand to her cheek, sighing in relief at the freezing cold. She exhaled and stood up. “Okay. Ready.”

“Finally!” Mollie exclaimed. “I thought we’d be in here forever!”

Erika raised an eyebrow at the obvious exaggeration.

“Okay, not forever,” Mollie admitted. “But a long time.”

Erika slipped a hand into her purse, pulling out a pink slip of paper. Mollie rummaged in the back pocket of her jeans, dumping an absurd amount of strange objects (the stub of a broken arrow, a bird’s feather, a tiny wooden bear, and several unidentifiable bits of food) before emerging triumphant with the same pink card.

“So, ya know who sent this?” Mollie asked, uncrumpling her slip.

“No,” Erika answered, shaking her head. “It just has a drawing of a crown and the words _Library, 1:00._ Do you know what time it is?”

Mollie shrugged. “I don’t have a watch.”

“Neither do I,” Erika said. “Most people in my kingdom tell time using the bells. Although there’s a clock in the castle.”

“No bells here,” Mollie said. “Except the school bell.” She stuck her head out of the door. “Hey, what time is it?” she hollered.

“12:52,” someone called back.

“Ack! We got eight minutes!” Mollie announced. She grabbed Erika’s arm, pulled her out into the hallway, and then released her grip with a howl. “Ow! Cold!”

“Sorry,” Erika apologized. “Ever since that incident in class last week, I’ve been keeping myself cold.”

“No kidding,” Mollie said. “That was awesome, by the way. Ya looked like ya’d seen a ghost, and when FG called yer name, poof! Ya were down fer the count.”

“A ghost?” Erika repeated. Her fists tightened as her thoughts went back to the terrible picture of a villainous Queen Elsa, staring maliciously out from beneath thorny writing spelling out Wicked. “It- it wasn’t a ghost.” _Just a monster._

They started off down the hall, Mollie chattering the whole way. “I should try faintin’ sometime. Get out of class.”

“I didn’t do it to get out of class,” Erika corrected. “I got too hot.”

“Ya still skipped class,” Mollie pointed out. “And then ya got carried to the nurse’s office by that smokin’ hot VK, Jay…”

“VK?” Erika asked, narrowing her eyes. “What’s a VK?”

“A villain kid,” Mollie explained. “From the Isle of the Lost.”

 _The Isle._ Erika had heard about that place. Her mother got tense whenever someone talked about it, although Erika didn’t know why. She knew it was a prison for the villains that had tried to harm the heroes of the past, whether it was through a magic spell, a poisoned apple, or a golden flower. Some villains had even been resurrected from death to be imprisoned on the magic-less island.

Erika also knew that Hans was there.

She had been ten years old when her mother had taken her down into the depths of the castle and showed her the dungeon cell that the prince had trapped her in. Erika had seen the broken shackles on the floor and the hole in the wall, blasted with ice that would not melt. She had been speechless, realizing that thirteen years ago, in this stone room, a desperate young girl with a storm beneath her skin had strained against the chains, pleading with a handsome prince to let her go.

And he hadn’t. He had said he would see what he could do. And he had gone upstairs, broken the freezing heart of a princess with red hair that was turning white, and sentenced the young queen to death. And when she had escaped, he had followed her, lied to her, told her she had killed her sister, and then, when the blizzard she had made stood still with grief, he had tried to execute her himself.

Erika had never met Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, but she knew that if she ever did, she wouldn’t hesitate to turn him into a wickedly handsome ice sculpture where he stood.

“Erika! Hey! We need to go!”

Erika shook off the memories like snow, and turned back to Mollie. “What?”

“We need to get to the library,” Mollie said. “You just zoned out. Come on!”

The two of them rushed down the hall, neither of them noticing the small spikes of ice that had begun to form on the ceiling. The ice slowly melted, dripping onto the floor. But still, no one noticed.

No one except a single, shadowy figure, watching from behind a column. The figure’s lips curved into a smile as a pair of glinting eyes watched the girl from Arendelle vanish around a corner.

* * *

 

Erika and Mollie sped into the library, panting.

“Fashionably late,” a sugary voice greeted them. “Perfect.”

Erika glanced up at the clock on the wall. 1:08 p.m. She sighed, turning to the girl lounging in an armchair, an open book on her lap.

“So why’d ya invite us here?” Mollie asked the girl, bending over and resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

“Simple,” the girl answered, standing up and flouncing over to them. “You’re supposed to join one of the after-school clubs. And I’m starting one. You two are perfect candidates.”

“What kind of club?” Erika asked. “And who are you?”

“Oh, where are my manners?” the girl gasped, dramatically flinging a hand to her forehead. “My name is Audrey. I’m Sleeping Beauty’s daughter. You’ve probably heard of me.”

“Nope,” Mollie said.

“I haven’t,” Erika added.

The girl sighed. “To be honest, I’m not surprised,” she said, collapsing back into her chair. “Arendelle and Dunbroch are two of the most…how do I put this?...primitive kingdoms in Auradon. No cell phones! No WiFi! You poor things, it must have been dreadful!”

“Mama _chose_ that,” Erika told her sternly. “She didn’t want our culture to be ruined. And how do you know where we’re from, anyway?”

“You’re kind of obvious,” the girl replied, gesturing to Erika’s ice-coated skin. She turned to Mollie. “You’re obvious, too, but for different reasons.” Her gaze travelled over Mollie’s rumpled clothes and wild hair, and she shuddered slightly, tossing her perfect brown locks over the shoulder of her pink dress. “Anyway, I’m starting a Princess Club! For _real_ princesses, not like that VK who thinks her mother’s a queen. I mean the kind of girls who have the blood royal.” She settled back in her chair, regarding Erika and Mollie like a queen gazing over her subjects. “And you both fit the bill.”

“It would just be us three?” Erika questioned.

Audrey laughed. “Of course not! There are more princesses in this school than you realize. Rapunzel’s daughter, for one, and Ariel’s niece, for another. Let’s see-“ she began counting on her fingers. “Counting Tiana’s daughter, that would be six princesses. It’s too bad Jasmine and Pocahontas both had sons, but I suppose six is plenty.”

“What’s this club aboot?” Mollie asked.

“Learning how to be better princesses, of course,” Audrey said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “We’ll share makeup tips, advice about boys, all that stuff.”

Mollie groaned. “I get enough o’ that at home with Granny,” she muttered. “Tryin’ ta turn me inta a lady and all that.”

“Apparently, you don’t pay attention to what she says,” Audrey remarked. “Your look makes me think…hmm…’crazy peasant’. It should make me immediately think ‘princess.’ But don’t worry, I’ll fix you up.”

Mollie huffed, folding her arms across her chest and shoving her wild red curls back from her face.

Audrey turned to Erika, tapping her fingers against her chin. “You. You’ve got it nearly perfect! Perfect posture, perfect hair, perfect _style…_ you are nearly as good of a princess as I am! Although, no one could ever _quite_ match me.” She frowned. “There’s just one small thing.”

“What?” Erika asked.

“The ice,” Audrey said. “It downgrades your look. Makes you go from ‘princess’ to- there’s really no way to put this nicely, is there? Oh, well. From ‘princess’ to ‘freak’, if I’m being honest.”

Erika gasped and stepped back. In spite of herself, slick ice spread from her feet. “W-what did you call me?” she breathed. Heat zigzagged up her skin, and she pressed a hand to her chest to cool it.

“I meant it in the nicest way, of course.” Audrey waved her hand in dismissal. “But no one uses magic in Auradon anymore, especially not so obviously.”

“I have special permission from Fairy Godmother,” Erika said sharply. “It’s too hot in Auradon for me, even in the fall. If I don’t use my frost to keep me cool, I could die. You saw me in class four days ago. I passed out.” _That’s not nearly the whole story._

Audrey inspected her perfect nails. “Well, you could leave it off your face. When it’s on your arms and legs, it looks like lace or leggings of some kind. Perfectly normal. But on your face…” she sighed. “The only thing that should be on your face is makeup.”

“It feels better when the ice is all over me,” Erika answered.

Audrey shrugged. “Beauty is pain.” She looked up. “So, are either of you joining my club?”

Mollie blew out her breath. “I’ll join,” she said. “But don’t expect me ta show up for many meetings. I’m just joinin’ so FG will get off my case about findin’ a club.” Audrey handed her a pink clipboard and pen, and Mollie scratched down her name.

“How about you, Erika?” Audrey offered. “Are you in?”

 

Erika sighed. As angry as she was that Audrey had called her a freak, she was hoping to find some friends in Auradon, friends she could relate with. She reached out and took the pen. “Yes,” she answered, signing her name to the paper. “I’m in.”

* * *

 

Erika sat alone in the library, long after Mollie and Audrey had left. Still haunted by the evil, twisted version of her mother that had been in her textbook, she had decided to look through the books on Arendelle in the library, to see if they all portrayed Elsa as if she had been wicked.

She was pleased to discover that the books were arranged by kingdom, and each section had books about that particular kingdom as well as books from it. She found the Arendelle section easily enough. It was a small area, tucked in between Agrabah and Auradon. But the minute Erika saw it, she felt all her homesickness dissipate. She grabbed several history books, and then looked through the others. There was a cookbook, which Erika paged through, her mouth watering as she saw pictures of the dishes she was so familiar with. Most of the other books were collections of fairy tales and stories, the ones Erika had grown up hearing from her mother. But one book caught her eye, and she pulled it out. Seconds later, she gasped in delight.

The book was another volume of myths from Arendelle. But this one was written in runes, what she had first learned to read and write. She had missed being able to speak in the language that felt so familiar to her, and although this wouldn’t let her have a conversation in her native tongue, she could at least read in it.

Erika set the books down at her table and opened the myth book, sighing happily as she lost herself in the runes that spelled out stories from her childhood.

“Homework?”

Erika jumped again, slamming her book shut. “Not exactly,” she answered. “Yes, I’m doing research, but it’s not for class. It’s for…something else.”

She stared up at the intruder- a tall young man dressed mostly in royal blue, with tousled sandy blond hair and a pleasant expression on his face. He tapped the cover of the myth book. “You can read that?”

“Of course,” Erika answered. “I grew up reading and writing runes.”

“Oh, you’re the student from Arendelle!” he realized. He made a courtly bow. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”

Erika stood, pushed back her chair, and curtsied. “Princess Erika of Arendelle,” she introduced herself, sitting back down.

The boy gave her a friendly smile. “Hi, Princess Erika of Arendelle. I’m Ben.”


	7. Winter’s Throne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika gets a chance to talk to Ben about some things, and she gets vastly different answers from what she expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is really, really early. I had planned to post this on Monday, but everyone really seemed to like Ben in the story. So, uh, here’s more of that...*laughs awkwardly because I have absolutely no idea how to introduce this thing*

“Ben?” Erika echoed, frowning. “You’re Beast and Belle’s son, aren’t you?”

“That’s me,” he replied.

“You’re also the High King.” It wasn’t a question this time.

Ben blinked. “Generally, it’s just ‘king’,” he answered. “But yes, I’m the king.”

“We call you the High King in Arendelle,” Erika explained. “It makes things less confusing, since we have a queen. If we called you the king, it would make things…awkward.”

“I guess so,” Ben admitted. “I wanted to talk to you about something, Erika. May I sit down?”

Erika shut her book and moved it to the side. “Of course.”

The young king eased himself into the chair across from her. “Fairy Godmother told me about what happened in class,” he said. “I was in a meeting and missed class that day, but she said you overheated and passed out?”

“Yes,” Erika replied. “She had made me promise not to use my powers, so I wasn’t keeping myself cool enough to function.”

“She also told me that she’s allowing you to do that now.” Ben leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Have you taken her up on that?”

Erika stared at him for a long moment. _Is he blind?_ “Yes,” she answered finally.

Ben sat back with a sigh of relief. “Good,” he said. “I would absolutely hate to have to explain to Queen Elsa that her daughter died of heatstroke.”

Erika laughed, shaking her head. “That wouldn’t happen,” she told him. “If I went in too deep of a coma because of heat, my powers would ice me over whether I wanted them to or not. Heat can’t kill me, but it can hurt me.”

Ben looked surprised. “I didn’t know that! Does it work the same way for your mother?”

Erika shrugged. “We have the same powers, so most likely.”

“How cold do you have to be for you to be comfortable?” Ben asked.

“In Arendelle, I usually don’t have to use ice at all,” Erika answered. “I don’t have any body heat, so the ice in my blood just keeps me naturally cool. Sometimes in late July, I have to put on a thin coat of frost, but it never gets hot enough to need any visible ice. In Auradon, though, I’m keeping myself cold enough to give someone frostbite.” She held out her arm. Ben cautiously touched his finger to it and then jerked back.

“I can’t believe you can stand that,” he said, rubbing his finger. “Mal does some pretty strong magic herself, but even she can’t take that kind of cold.”

“I heard she turned herself into a dragon?”

“Yeah, she did,” Ben replied. “It was to fight off Uma.”

“How’d your papa take her using magic?” Erika asked.

Ben let out a short laugh. “Dad's met Mal a couple of times. He knew that if he were to forbid her from using her magic, she’d just do it anyway. So he left it alone. Fast forward a couple years later, and she’s sworn off it completely. Donated her spell book to the museum and everything.”

“Wow,” Erika said. “She used spells? She didn’t just use natural magic?”

“She has a little natural magic, but she usually relied on spells,” Ben responded. His face turned serious. “Erika, I wanted to ask you something. Nurse Flora checked the classroom temperature. She said that it was actually pretty cool on the day that you fainted.” He sighed. “She thinks you may have been angry for some reason. She said that with you and your mother, your emotions come through physically.”

“In our ice,” Erika corrected. “When we’re happy, the ice is blue and white. If we’re angry, it turns red and purple, and if we’re afraid, it turns yellow.”

“Well, Nurse Flora thinks that the reason your ice changes is because your body reacts to emotions in a different way than most people,” Ben continued. “She thinks your ice turns red when you’re angry because your anger heats you up. Does this make sense?”

Erika thought back to the moment before her vision went white. It had felt like heat was bubbling up in her chest. “Yes, it does.”

Ben sighed again. “What made you so angry, Erika?” he asked softly. “For you to get so hot that you passed out…you must have been furious.”

Erika clenched her fists on the beginnings of ice spikes. “The flags on the wall outside,” she asked. “What are they?”

Ben looked disappointed that she hadn’t answered him. “They’re the kingdoms of Auradon,” he replied. “Each flag was made out of special materials by craftspeople in the kingdom they represent. The mice made Cinderellasburg’s flag, and the mermaids made Atlantica’s, and so on.”

“Did you ever look closely at them?” Erika questioned.

“I guess,” Ben answered, shrugging. “Why?”

“Arendelle doesn’t have a flag,” Erika said. “Everywhere I look, my kingdom- my _people_ \- are ignored, overlooked, slighted! It’s like we aren’t really part of Auradon at all!” She leapt to her feet, tightening her fists, her chest heaving.

Ben was silent for a long moment. “I knew this was a bad idea,” he said softly.

“What, talking to me?” Erika snapped. She turned back to him, and her heart dropped.

A sharp, pointed icicle almost a foot long had appeared at the end of the table, its tip aimed at the young king.

Erika gasped and waved her hand. The icicle disappeared in a flurry of specks that had just a slight tint of red. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I-I didn’t mean to-“

“I’m fine, Erika,” Ben said. His expression turned stern for a fleeting moment. “But that cannot happen again.”

Erika nodded and clutched her hand to her chest, feeling sick. _What did I just do?_

“Erika,” Ben’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up.

Ben smiled at her. “It’s okay,” he said, his voice gentle. “It was an accident.” He gestured to her chair. “Why don’t you sit back down, and I’ll explain everything?”

Erika slipped back into her seat, clearing the frost from her face. She felt hotter, but she was starting to realize that Audrey was right. Her icy shell made her stand out in a way that made her uncomfortable. If she made the ice less noticeable, she would become less different. She would look like she belonged.

“Erika, about a month after this castle was remade into Auradon Prep, Dad sent a delegation to every kingdom, asking them to create a flag from materials that could only be found in their kingdom, and put their sigil on it for the wall of the school,” Ben said. “One of those delegations did go to Arendelle, and asked Queen Elsa to have a flag made. Your mother refused.”

Erika gasped. “She- she refused?”

“She told the messengers that she wanted Arendelle to remain as separate from Auradon as possible,” Ben explained. “That’s why there’s no Arendelle flag. We would have put one up, but your mother wouldn’t make one. It also explains why there are so few Arendelle books. Believe it or not, you are the first person from Arendelle that’s been in Auradon since the coronation. It’s a very isolated kingdom, and since it just reopened the gates twenty years ago, books aren’t very high on the list of goods to bring back to Auradon. I should know, I have to review all of those.” He touched the cover of the myth book. “There’s also the fact that most of your books are written in-“ he paused.

“Runes,” Erika supplied.

“Yeah, those. We don’t exactly have translators readily available, so books about or from Arendelle are hard to come by.” His voice grew soft. “Do you understand now?”

Erika’s head was reeling. “Mama was the one to separate us from Auradon,” she whispered. “I never knew.”

“Arendelle is essentially part of Auradon in name only,” Ben added. “We don’t know why Queen Elsa won’t fully unite with us, since it would benefit both our kingdoms.”

“Mama lived for years barely seeing anyone,” Erika said. “It’s probably overwhelming, suddenly having to run a kingdom after spending so much time alone.”

Ben nodded. “That’s true.” He stood up. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your research. What are you looking for, exactly? Maybe I can suggest a book that’ll help.”

Erika opened her mouth to tell him about the villainous portrait of Elsa in her textbook. But suddenly, she didn’t want to say anything. She wanted to wait, to see if other books would paint Elsa in evil colors, or if it was just a one-time mistake by some misinformed author. “I’m just trying to find out how much Auradon knows about us,” she said. “I think I have enough books.”

Ben gave her a wave. “I hope you find what you’re looking for,” he said, heading out the door.

_For Mama’s sake, I hope I don’t._

* * *

 

Erika slipped back in to her dorm room only a few minutes before curfew. Across the room, Mollie lay on her bed with her arms crossed behind her head. “Where were ya?” she asked.

“I met the High King,” Erika answered.

“Ben?” Mollie sat up, dangling her legs off the edge of the bed and propping her chin in her hands. “Do tell! Was he nice?”

Erika sighed and collapsed onto her bed. “I suppose so, in a royal way,” she replied. “I can see why they made him king.”

“Because his da was the king before him?” Mollie asked, looking confused.

Erika began unbraiding her hair, running her fingers through the icy strands. “No,” she answered. “I mean, yes, that’s part of it, but also because he…well, he seems to understand people. Like he can see where they’re coming from and relate to it.”

“Strange way fer a king ta act,” Mollie remarked. “Back in Dunbroch, it seems like all a ruler does is look scarier and fight harder than anyone else.”

“I thought your mother was the ruler,” Erika said.

Mollie snorted. “Ya should see Mum fight. She taught me ta shoot when I was a wee toddler. I’ve seen her deck men twice her size and come out lookin’ none the worse for wear.” She settled back onto her pillow. “Granny still tries to make Mum and me inta ladies, but it’s never gonna do any good.”

Erika smiled slightly. “Goodnight, Mollie,” she said, as the school bell rang for lights out.

“Night,” Mollie mumbled, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow.

Erika lay awake for a long while, thinking about what Ben had said. _You kept us apart, Mama,_ she thought. _You kept Arendelle a kingdom of isolation. You refused their technology, their representation. You wouldn’t let them change our ways._ She blew out a breath, watching the cold puff of air dissipate.  _I know you did it for a reason, Mama. But what was it?_ That was what confused her. Try as she might, she just couldn’t imagine why Elsa would have refused Auradon’s assistance.

She gasped as a thought struck her like a blast of ice. _Mama, do you know how they think of you? How they see you? Do you know that they still label you a monster? Is that why you wouldn’t let them in?_ She had paged through every book that mentioned her land that she could find. Most had ignored Arendelle completely. A few had given it passing mentions. Only one or two had actually gone into any kind of detail about the small mountain kingdom, and they had stopped after King Agnarr and Queen Iduna had been lost at sea. There was no mention anywhere of Elsa, Anna, even Hans- except in that one textbook.

 _Why are they hiding your story?_ Erika wondered. _That book said you were wicked, but they still put Hans on the Isle. Do they think the story has two villains? Are they hiding it because you don’t get your comeuppance, like they think villains are supposed to? None of this makes any sense!_

Erika turned over ideas in her mind for hours that night. Each one seemed like a good reason when it first came into her head, but then she found something that dismissed it. Finally, she gave up, reasoning that she could always ask her mother about it when she returned to Arendelle. She opened her window and stared at the full moon in the black sky until she fell asleep, and her dreams were as turbulent and wild as the storm that her mother had set in motion years ago. 

If Erika had woken up, she would have been shocked at the spikes of ice that rose from the floor all around her, the results of her chaotic dreams. But no one saw except the moon.

 


	8. Winter’s Crown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika goes shopping with Audrey and is left with some pressing questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, this is late. Eesh. Sorry about the long wait, I was on vacation. Also, I almost drowned in a wave pool. Not a fun experience, but I lived.

 

 

“Aagh!”

 

Erika looked up at Mollie’s frustrated scream. Her roommate collapsed dramatically on the floor. “I can’t take another second!”

 

“Another second of what?” Erika asked, turning the page of her book. Mollie jumped up and pointed at it.

 

“That! Blasted homework!”

 

Erika turned away to hide a smile.

“Easy for ya ta laugh about it,” Mollie huffed, folding her arms. “I’ve never seen ya get a bad grade in anythin’.”

 

“That’s only because I don’t react to my grades, or show them to people,” Erika answered. “I’ve gotten several less-than-satisfactory grades.” _Mostly because I don’t understand technology._

 

Mollie sighed and plopped back into her chair, tapping a pencil against her desk. “You really are the princess type, aren’t you?”

 

Erika laughed. “Oh, no. Not always. When I was younger, I took after my aunt- I was always running off, exploring, adventuring, climbing trees and tearing my dresses to ribbons. I was a hopeless tomboy.”

 

“What happened ta ya?” Mollie asked curiously.

 

Erika sighed. “Mama told me that I would be queen, and I decided to act like I was queen already. It helped with my training.”

 

”Princess training?” Mollie groaned. “Ugh. Me granny makes me do that. I hate every minute.”

 

Erika shook her head. “Not princess training, exactly. Training with my powers.”

 

”No experience with that,” Mollie said. “I don’t have powers. I have a bow, though.” She patted her longbow. “Runnin’ short on arrows.”

 

Before Erika could answer, someone knocked.

 

”Who’s that?” Mollie asked. 

 

“I don’t know,” Erika answered. She stood up and opened the door. 

 

Audrey immediately swept into the room, wearing a pastel pink dress that had far too many ruffles for Erika’s simplistic taste. “Hi, Mollie!” she greeted with a parade-style wave. “Hi, Erika!”

 

“Hey,” Mollie answered distractedly. “What’s up?”

 

Audrey didn’t answer right away, busy scanning the room with a disapproving look on her pretty face. “Really, you two, your decor needs some major help.” Her smile reappeared. “But that’s just why I’m here! I was wondering-“ she seated herself gracefully on Erika’s bed before Erika could warn her. Audrey jumped up with a yelp. “Ack! Erika, are you sleeping on a block of ice?”

 

“Kind of,” Erika responded. “I forgot to warn you. I keep a coat of frost on the blanket. It stops me from overheating at night.”

 

Audrey gave her a suspicious glance. “Aren’t you only allowed to use ice directly on yourself?”

 

“Technically, yes,” Erika answered. “But it helps keep me comfortable while I sleep.” 

 

Audrey rolled her eyes and sat down on Mollie’s bed instead. “Anyway, as I was saying, I wanted to know if you girls were interested in doing our first Princess Club hangout this afternoon. I’ve already invited the other princesses, and they’re all for it.” 

 

“Where are we goin’ then?” Mollie asked. “I’m up fer it. Anythin’ ta get me away from this blasted homework.” She gave her math book a dirty look. 

 

Audrey beamed. “We’re going shopping, of course! Judging by the condition of your room, as well as...” she eyed Mollie’s rumpled plaid shirt and grimaced. “As well as your clothes, you two still need some serious princess lessons. But I’ve got you covered. I’ll show you how to look like real princesses.”

 

“We are real princesses,” Erika pointed out. “And this is a perfectly acceptable outfit back home.” She gestured to her lace-edged silver top and brown leggings. Audrey rolled her eyes.

 

“Remember what I said about your kingdoms, Erika? You have to modernize! Just leave it to me. I’ll have both of you looking royally good in no time!”

 

Mollie hopped off the bed and slung her longbow over her shoulder. “As long as we kin stop by a weapon shop,” she said. “I need more arrows.”

 

Audrey gasped. “Oh, no, no, no, Mollie! Princesses don’t carry weapons. It’s- it’s- unheard of!”

 

“Really?” a dry voice asked from the doorway. A slim, muscular girl with thick, dark hair and a blue and yellow jersey stepped into the room. “I’m a princess, Audrey. And captain of the fencing team. It’s not as unheard of as you might think- just ask my mom.” She eyed Mollie’s bow. “Nice.”

 

Mollie practically glowed. “Thanks! Me mum passed it doon ta me when I was six.”

 

“My mom gave me my first sword when I was eight,” the newcomer replied.

 

“Erika, Mollie, this is Lonnie, Mulan’s daughter,” Audrey said. “She’s going shopping with us.“

 

Lonnie grinned. “Mainly to look for a better practice sword, but I’m not against a new outfit or two while we’re at it.” She turned to Audrey. “By the way, Blondie called a rain check. She’s got an art lesson. But Tansy’s still in.”

 

“Tansy is Tiana’s daughter,” Audrey filled in for Erika and Millie. “And I think you can guess who “Blondie”, as Lonnie likes to call her, might be.”

 

“Rapunzel’s daughter?” Mollie guessed. 

 

“Yep,” Audrey answered. She turned to Erika. “What about you? Are you in?”

 

Erika shut her notebook. “I’ll have about an hour left when we get back,” she said. “But I might as well join in.”

 

“Homework takes a backseat to princess work,” Audrey declared. “Come on, then! Let’s paint the town!”

 

Erika stood up and grabbed her purse, looking through the contents. “Do the stores in Auradon accept kroner?”

 

A shocked silence met her words. Erika sighed. “Apparently not.”

* * *

                                                    “Girls, what do you think?” Audrey gushed, holding a silky pink tank top against her chest. “Would this look amazing on me, or would it look _ah_ -mazing?”

 

“You just said the exact same word,” Lonnie pointed out, folding her arms.

 

“I think it looks great,” Tansy said loyally. “You should get it.”

 

“I should, shouldn’t I?” Audrey let out a long sigh. “Well then, it’s a yes!” She added the top to the substantial pile of clothing she had already found. “But we didn’t come here just for me! Erika, Mollie, prepare to be princess-ified!”

 

She prowled through the racks of clothes like a wolf, searching for “just the right thing,” Tansy hot on her heels. Mollie trailed behind her, fingering the fletching of a new arrow and looking like she’d rather be shooting than shopping.

 

As for Erika, she was actually enjoying the trip more than she had expected. Once she had gotten Auradon’s money system figured out (how she wished they accepted kroner), she broke off from the group and started browsing through the store by herself, waiting for something to catch her eye.

 

A few minutes later, she spotted a flash of blue, tucked behind a stack of purple dresses made to match Mal’s latest style. She pulled it out and gasped.

 

The blue flash turned out to be a deep gray-blue hooded sweatshirt. The shoulders and halfway up the sleeves had been lightly sprinkled with tiny silver and white sequins. It almost looked like the shirt had been touched by Erika’s frost.

 

“ _Det er så vakkert_ _,”_ Erika murmured, her eyes shining. She had been getting tired of wearing lacy dresses and embroidered tops every day. She had been looking something comfortable and functional that matched her style- and this shirt seemed to have been made for her.

 

“What did you find, Erika?” Audrey asked, coming up behind her. “Ew! Hoodie!” She recoiled, a disgusted look on her face. “Nothing says “I’m poor and I don’t care how I look” like a hoodie. We’re princesses, we can do way better. Here, I’ll put it back.”

 

Erika clung to the shirt. “I actually like it,” she protested. “It looks comfortable.”

 

“Comfortable and cheap.” Audrey grimaced. “Fine, get it if you have to. But I think you’d look better in pink.”

 

“You think everyone looks better in pink,” Lonnie said from behind her. She lifted a slim, black case. “I found a sword. Heritage katana, but still functional enough for practice. Cheap, too.”

 

“Honestly, Lonnie, I will never understand you,” Audrey sighed. “Ooh! Look what I found for Mollie!” She held up a pleated, dark green dress trimmed with black lace. “It’s just perfect, don’t you think?”

 

“Sure, if ya want me to rip it ta shreds in three minutes.” Mollie shrugged. “I usually just wear whatever looks and smells the least dirty.”

 

“Gross, Mollie!” Audrey looked like she might actually be sick. “You cannot be serious! I wouldn’t be caught _dead_ in anything I’ve worn in the last four months!”

 

“Yeah, I’m pretty serious,” Mollie answered. “Clothes aren’t me thing. Shootin, on the other hand...” A glint appeared in her eyes. “Put me next ta the finest archers in yer kingdom, and I’ll outshoot every last one o’ em. Mum taught me everythin’ she knows.”

 

“This is what I meant by _primitive,_ ” Audrey sighed. “We’ve got a lot more stores to visit, so Erika, grab that...that hoodie and let’s get to the next one. We’re going to my absolute favorite dress shop! I can’t wait to see what they’ve got for you and Mollie!”

 

Ten minutes later, Erika stood in front of a mirror, staring at her reflection in the glass. She wore a shimmery dress in a pale blue lace that reminded her of mountain flowers, with a wide pink ribbon belt. To say it was uncomfortable would have been an understatement. The dress scratched against Erika’s legs, knocking tiny flakes of ice to the floor. The second they were away from Erika’s chilled skin, they melted. There was already a small puddle under her feet.

 

“Erika? Are you ready?” Audrey’s excited voice called through the door. “I want to see the masterpiece!”

 

Erika sighed. “I’m ready, Audrey,” she answered. She added another layer of frost to her legs, took a deep breath, and pushed open the dressing room door.

 

Mollie and Lonnie lounged on a bench, chatting a mile a minute, most likely about weapons and fighting. But Tansy and Audrey were both staring at Erika.

 

“It’s lovely!” Audrey leapt from her seat and twirled, her skirt flying out. “I’m almost jealous! When you can’t decide between pink or blue, go with both!”

 

“It’s uncomfortable,” Erika stated. “It’s rubbing the ice off of my legs. I have to keep refrosting myself.”

 

“The price of beauty.” Audrey shrugged. “Here, let me fix your hair.” She slipped behind Erika and untied her braid, coiling Erika’s white-blonde strands into a complicated updo. “I’m impressed, Erika! Your roots are literally invisible!”

 

“My...roots?” Erika was lost.

 

“You know, when you dye your hair. The roots are always a trouble spot. You can’t keep them colored without touching up every so often.”

 

“Uh, Audrey?” Erika said. “This isn’t dye. My hair is naturally white. Or, almost white.”

 

“Oh!” For once, Audrey seemed at a loss for words.

 

“I thought you did it to match the ice,” Tansy said, a surprised look on her face. “I was thinking about getting my hair dyed green. What do you think, Audrey?”

 

Audrey gave Tansy’s dark curls a critical glance. “Go green and yellow dip-dye,” she suggested.

 

“Ooh, yes!” Tansy clapped her hands. “Perfect!”

 

"Back to _your_ hair, Erika." Audrey pulled a bobby pin from her purse and tucked it into Erika's hair. "I've seen pictures of your mother, and she doesn't have hair this white. It's almost frosty, isn't it?"

 

"Mama thinks it might be because her powers were passed down to me," Erika explained. "She's the only blonde in our family for hundreds of years. She thinks that the powers lighten our hair. Without my magic, I would have been a blonde, like her. But when I inherited her powers, it lightened it even more, until...this." She touched a strand. “At least, that’s the way Mama explained it.”

 

“Mm,” Audrey said as she pushed another bobby pin into Erika’s hair. “Finished! Oh, Erika! Look at you! You’re beautiful!”

 

Erika frowned. “I don’t know,” she replied as Audrey spun her around to look at herself in the mirror. “It isn’t really my style.”

 

“Of course not!” Audrey giggled. “Your style is...uh...plain. This?” She brushed her hand across the shoulder of Erika’s dress. “This is _princess._ All you need now is a crown!”

 

Erika raised her eyebrows. “I don’t have one,” she said. “I’ll get a crown when I become queen.”

 

Audrey laughed. “I was being figurative,” she answered. “I mean, _I_ have at least six crowns. But I’m sure your kingdom has different ways of doing things. After all, it can’t be easy- living up in the mountains the way you do.”

 

Erika frowned. _Why do I feel as if I was just insulted?_ But Audrey’s face was perfectly innocent. If she _had_  insulted Erika, she had no idea she had done so.

 

“Now, Mollie, it’s your turn!” Audrey cheered. She grabbed Mollie’s elbow and pulled her into the ocean of frilly dresses. Mollie groaned. “Help,” she mouthed.

 

Erika laughed, waving as Mollie disappeared into the racks of fabric. She turned back to the mirror, running her fingers across the twisted bun Audrey had created. It  _was_ pretty, in a way. She looked like she fit perfectly into Audrey’s group of friends.

 

But was that really what she wanted? To change herself into Audrey’s vision of a perfect princess? She knew that if she were back on Arendelle, her people would barely even recognize her. Which world did she really want to belong to? Auradon or Arendelle?

 

Erika’s heart was full of questions. And her mind had no answers.

 

 

Det er så vakkert- it’s so beautiful

 

 

 


	9. Winter’s Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika makes a new friend, and she and Mollie grow closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I am way late on this. Oops. I do have a set deadline for finishing this story, so for the time being, I’ll be posting every two days. I have also added translations for when Erika speaks Norwegian, since I thought it might get annoying having to Google translate what she says every time she speaks the language. Enjoy!

Erika pulled open her locker and dropped her books inside. _Another day of class over._ She sighed, her hands running over the sequins on the sleeves of her hoodie.

Audrey had rolled her eyes when she saw what Erika was wearing. Erika had worn the shirt every day after class in the four days since she got it. But today was the first time she had worn it in class. She liked it better than the lacey, ruffled dresses Audrey had picked out for her.

Erika turned around and almost bumped straight into a girl standing behind her. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” she gasped. “I didn’t realize you were there!”

The girl smiled at her. “No harm done,” she said, a faint accent tinting her words. “Nice hoodie.”

Erika blushed. “Thank you,” she replied. “I’m Princess Erika of Arendelle, daughter of Queen Elsa of Arendelle.”

The girl stuck out her hand. “I’m Tamarind, but you can call me Tam. Daughter of Tarzan and Jane.”

Erika blinked. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t know who they are.”

Tam shrugged. “No big deal,” she answered. “You’re from a kingdom, I’m from the jungle. To be fair, I don’t know much about Arendelle, either.”

Erika smiled. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “High mountains on three sides and a fjord on the other boundary leading out to sea. Cool weather, rolling hills, and the royal palace on the edge of the fjord, with a town surrounding it. Then, if you climb into the mountains, you see crocuses poking through the snow, herds of reindeer running free, and the mountain palace.” She paused. “What’s the jungle like?”

Tam grinned. “Well, we don’t have reindeer!”

Erika laughed, shutting her locker door. “What do you have?”

Tam’s eyes glazed over slightly. “Waterfalls,” she answered. “Waterfalls that sound like music. Huge trees with vines hanging from them, perfect to swing on. A thick carpet of leaves on the ground. A canopy of more leaves overhead, with the sunlight slithering through. It’s all green and brown, broken up by patches of flowers with more colors than you could imagine. And the animals!” She laughed, pushing back her thick, dark brown hair. “We have more different types of animals than anywhere else in Auradon. Snakes, frogs, fish, birds, monkeys, elephants, hippopotami, leopards- and of course, the gorillas. Mother’s made it her mission to study each one.”

”It sounds wonderful,” Erika said.

“It is,” Tam replied. “It’s all so wild, so free. You can do anything you want, wherever and whenever you want.” Her face took on a slightly sad look. “It’s not like here, in Auradon Central. Here, we have rules, schedules, curfews…all the things I’m not used to.”

“I know what you mean,” Erika responded. “In Arendelle-“

Mollie’s excited voice broke in. “Erika! Do ya have homework today?” She waved. “Hey, Tam!”

“Hey, Mollie,” Tam answered.

“Do ya have homework, Erika?” Mollie asked again. She was practically bouncing up and down.

“I think I do, but not very much of it,” Erika replied. “Why?”

“I want ya ta go shootin’ with me!” Mollie’s grin took up half her face. Her longbow and quiver were already slung over her shoulder.

Erika’s eyes widened. “Shooting? Mollie, I’ve never even held a bow like that. We mainly use crossbows where I come from.”

“I’ll show ya!” Mollie laughed and grabbed Erika’s arm. “Come on!” She quickly let go when she felt the cold from the sequins. “Keep forgetting about that.”

“All right, all right,” Erika relented, seeing how excited her roommate was. “See you later, Tam?”

 

“Definitely,” Tam replied with a grin. “Bye, Erika! Have fun with Mollie!”

* * *

 

“So…what do I do with this thing?” Erika asked, running her fingers along Mollie’s bow. The wood was beautiful, intricately carved, but it looked as if it had been burned.

Mollie slung a quiver bristling with arrows over her shoulder. “Jest watch me,” she said, a broad smile splitting her face. She nocked one of the arrows on the string and looked around for a target.

“That tree should do jest fine,” she said, pointing to a thick oak.

Erika frowned. “Are you sure? It looks awfully far away.”

Mollie laughed uproariously, making her arrow slip from the string. She picked it up and nocked it again. “Ya should see me mum! She’d think hittin’ that wasn’t enough of a challenge!”

“If you say so,” Erika replied doubtfully.

Mollie raised the bow and pulled back the string, sighting along the shaft. Erika watched her intently. _She has to guess where the arrow will go. There’s no marker like there is on a crossbow._

Mollie stood frozen, the bowstring taut. Erika watched her face, waiting for the moment when she would shoot.

_Twang._

Erika jumped. She hadn’t even seen Mollie move. The redhead yelped, dropped the bow, and jumped up and down, shouting angry words in a language Erika didn’t know.

“Mollie, what happened?” she gasped, rushing to her friend’s side. Mollie calmed down enough to answer her.

“The bow was too slanted. When I let go, the stupid string flew back and whacked me arm!” Mollie pulled up her sleeve, revealing a large red welt on her forearm.

“I didn’t know that could happen,” Erika said.

“It shouldn’t,” Mollie spat. “But I was too rushed. I didn’t set the shot up right.” She huffed. “Mum woulda never forgotten something like that.”

“Let me see your arm,” Erika told her, and Mollie pulled her sleeve up again. Erika took a deep breath, slightly nervous. She stretched out her hand, touching it to Mollie’s welt. Erika closed her eyes and focused, calling some of the cold away from her hand. She didn’t want to give her roommate frostbite. Finally, she let go, revealing a thin sheet of ice wrapped around Mollie’s arm.

“Ya have healing powers, too?” Mollie gasped.

Erika shook her head. “No, I just numbed the area,” she replied. She bent and blew a stream of her unmeltable frost over the inner part of Mollie’s arm. “Now, if the string hits it again, it won’t shatter,” she explained. “The frost from my breath can’t be melted or broken.”

Mollie looked worried. “I’ll be able ta get the ice off, though, right?”

“Of course,” Erika responded. “I only frosted half of it. Just wait for the other side to melt, and it’ll fall right off.”

“Awesome!” Mollie crowed. “Now, where did me shot land?”

Erika gasped. “You still hit it!”

Mollie let out a whoop and raced over to the tree to collect her arrow. “See? It’s not so hard.” She held the bow and arrow out to Erika. “Your turn.”

Erika raised her hands. “I don’t know, Mollie. The only training I’ve had that comes close to this is with my powers. I’ve never used an actual weapon before. What if my ice ruins it?”

Mollie laughed. “This is me mum’s bow,” she explained. “She passed it doon ta me when I hit me first target dead center. It’s been through a lot- fire, contests, a fight with a demon bear-“

“Demon bear?”

“Long story. You’ll be fine, Erika. It’s fun. I’ll shoot another arrow and show you exactly what to do. Then, you kin try. It’s fine if ya don’t hit it the first time.”

Mollie nocked the bow again, going slowly and explaining exactly what steps to take. Erika watched carefully as the redhead drew back the string, sighting along the shaft. “Let the arrow circle around the target. Don’t hold it steady. Let it move a wee bit- and-“

She slipped her fingers off the string. “Fire.”

The arrow landed perfectly in the middle of the oak trunk. Mollie let out a triumphant yell and turned to Erika. “Yer turn.”

Erika carefully took the bow. It was heavier than she expected. The wood was rough and well-worn. It felt strong and sturdy in her hands. She gasped as a curtain of frost began to form over the bow, quickly calling it back to her.

Mollie handed her an arrow. “I’ll keep the quiver for now,” she said. “It can unbalance ya if you’re not used to shootin’.”

“I’m definitely not used to shooting,” Erika muttered. “Except for ice.”

Mollie laughed. Her face suddenly grew more serious than Erika had ever seen, and she started giving out instructions. “Turn yer body sideways a wee bit, and slide yer foot forward. No, the other one. Now, put the bow between your legs and slide the arrow onta the string. That’s a start, but it’s upside down. Here, let me help.”

It took ten minutes for Erika to get it right, and she hadn’t even shot the arrow. Mollie instructed her how to set up the shot, and gave her tips for aiming. Finally, Erika was ready.

“Don’t launch the arrow by openin’ yer fingers,” Mollie said. “Let the string slide off. That’ll release the arrow.” She checked Erika’s form one more time. “All right, here we go. Three…two…one…fire!”

_Twang._

Erika watched the arrow sink into the ground below the tree. She sighed.

“Hey, ya did all right,” Mollie said. “The first time I shot an arrow it went inta Grandad’s leg.”

Erika gasped.

“He’s fine!” Mollie added quickly. “He has a wooden leg. That’s what it hit. Not his real one.”

Erika exhaled. “I was getting a bit concerned there.”

Mollie ran to fetch the arrow. “Want ta try again?” she asked.

Erika shook her head. “Archery doesn’t feel right for me,” she answered. “But I’ll still practice with you.”

“How will you..” Mollie started.

Erika took a deep breath and shot out her arm. An icicle embedded itself perfectly in the tree trunk. She turned to Mollie and smiled. “That’s how.”

Mollie gaped at her. “Awesome,” she breathed. A challenging smile lit her face. “Let’s see how fast ya are.”

They shifted into a kind of game. Erika formed discs of ice and threw them in the air, and Mollie tried to shoot them all. Erika started slowly, one target at a time, and sped up until Mollie was struggling to keep pace.

Finally, Mollie stopped. “I’m worn out,” she said, lowering her bow. “Yer turn.”

Erika was soon enjoying herself more than she ever had, trying to freeze Mollie’s arrows in midair without breaking them. It required some precise aim, since Mollie shot her arrows at different angles and heights. But by the end, Erika had frozen all but three arrows.

“You’re good,” Mollie panted. “But now I need more arrows.”

“No, you don’t,” Erika said. “Look.” She gathered the iced-over arrows into a pile and waved her hand. The ice dissolved into blue and white specks, floating and swirling above the arrows and finally disappearing around Erika.

“I didn’t know ya could do that!” Mollie cried.

Erika shrugged, a half smile tip-toeing around her lips. “It’s kind of a failsafe, I guess. Just in case I freeze something that I didn’t mean to. Like…um…Arendelle.”

“So that’s how it thawed,” Mollie said, eyes wide. “We thought it all melted the next summer.”

Erika laughed. “Is that what you’ve heard? No, once Aunt Anna traded her life for Mama’s, Mama realized that an act of true love was the only thing that can thaw a frozen heart. And once she used her own love to thaw my aunt, she used that same love to thaw Arendelle.”

“That is so much cooler than fighting a demon bear,” Mollie muttered. “Don’t tell Mum I said that.”

Erika smiled. “I won’t.”

“Let’s see which one of us is more accurate,” Mollie suggested, scooping up her arrows and dropping them back into her quiver. “Whichever one can hit more leaves on that tree wins. We stop when I’m out o’ arrows, since ya never run out o’ ice.”

“You’re on,” Erika said, ice filling her veins as she stood ready.

“Go!” Mollie shouted.

Erika focused on one leaf at a time, sending tiny streams of ice through the air. She ignored the whizzing of Mollie’s arrows for the most part, only losing concentration when Mollie was able to shoot the leaf she was aiming for before she could.

“I’m out!” Mollie hollered, jumping up and down. “I think I won!”

The two girls raced to the tree. Dozens of leaves bore holes through the middle from Mollie’s arrows. Mollie whooped. “I win!”

“Not quite,” Erika said. She pointed to the ground. Piles of ice-coated leaves carpeted the ground.

Mollie slumped. “I was sure I won.”

“It was close,” Erika offered.

A new voice broke in before Mollie could answer. “What is going on out here?!”

 


	10. Winter’s Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika has a talk with both Fairy Godmother and someone else...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I’m gonna be updating this a LOT faster now. Like, every other day faster. Let me know if it’s an overload, and I’ll slow it down.

Fairy Godmother hurried across the yard, a very upset look on her face. “What is the meaning of this?” she said, propping her hands on her hips.

“Jest a little shootin’ practice,” Mollie explained, holding up her bow.

Fairy Godmother frowned. “Not you, Mollie,” she said. “I was talking to Erika.”

Erika’s fingers rubbed the ice-glossed sequins on her hoodie. “We were doing exactly what Mollie said,” she replied. “Shooting practice.”

Fairy Godmother folded her arms. “Erika, you know that’s not allowed,” she said pointedly.

Erika gasped. “You said I could use my ice!” she protested. “The day I overheated! Remember?”

Fairy Godmother pinched the bridge of her nose. “I thought I made myself perfectly clear,” she muttered, more anger in her voice than Erika had ever heard. “Erika, you are only permitted to use your ice to keep yourself cool. Nothing has changed regarding the use of magic in Auradon, unless it is life-threatening. Magic is not to be used for this- this _destruction._ ” She made a sweeping gesture with her hand towards the tree, which Erika now noticed had been stripped almost bare of leaves.

“I-I didn’t realize,” Erika said softly. “I-I thought you were going to let me use my powers freely.”

“You can use your powers, Erika,” Fairy Godmother explained. “But only to keep you cold enough to function. They are _not_ for playing around.” She looked past Erika, as if suddenly remembering that Mollie was there. “You can go, Mollie,” she said. “This is between me and Erika.”

Mollie cast an apologetic glance towards Erika, gathered up her arrows, and fled in the direction of the dorms.

Fairy Godmother sighed, losing some of her stern demeanor. “Sit down, sweetheart,” she said, indicating a nearby bench.

“Erika, dear, I have to say I’m disappointed in you,” the headmistress began. “When I got word that you were enrolling in the school, I expected- well, a princess. And you’ve shown that, to some extent. But these powers that you use so recklessly- Erika, do you realize how dangerous they- _you-_ are? With a single touch, you could freeze the kingdom.”

“I know that,” Erika whispered. “That’s why I control it.”

“You really haven’t been showing much control,” Fairy Godmother said. “When I first met you in this courtyard, you were conjuring ice sculptures. And now, here we are again.”

“I’m sorry,” Erika responded, her voice soft. “I didn’t mean to destroy the tree. It was an accident.”

Fairy Godmother shook her head. “That’s how every catastrophe starts,” she said sadly. “An accident that wasn’t supposed to happen. I know your mother didn’t mean to freeze her kingdom. It was an accident. But look what happened. Your mother nearly got herself killed, and your aunt actually did die.”

“That wasn’t a result of Mama’s powers!” Erika protested. “Prince Hans tried to kill Mama, and Aunt Anna sacrificed herself to save her. Their love brought Anna back and thawed Arendelle.”

“Your aunt- your _mother-_ got lucky.” Fairy Godmother smoothed her skirt. “Besides, you are more dangerous than her.”

Erika went still. “What? How can I be more dangerous than Mama? I don’t have even half of her abilities yet. I may never have them.”

A sad smile appeared on Fairy Godmother’s lips. “That’s just it, dear,” she said. “If you were to get too emotional, and you accidentally set off another eternal winter, you might not have the power to thaw it.”

“But I can!” Erika jumped to her feet and conjured up a pile of snow, then thawed it, watching it dissolve into blue and white specks. “See? I thawed it!”

“For one thing, that was a tiny snowdrift,” Fairy Godmother told her. “Who can say if you would be able to melt a larger scale winter? And for another thing, this is what I meant about control.”

Erika sat back down on the bench, her cheeks flushing. This time, she made no attempt to cool them.

Fairy Godmother patted her knee, quickly withdrawing her hand. “Erika, listen to me,” she said. “You’re so determined to prove yourself that you’re losing your grip on your magic. Don’t focus on controlling the ice and snow.”

“I should just let it go?” Erika was confused now. _Why would she tell me not to control it?_

“Oh, no,” Fairy Godmother shook her head. “You’ve been concentrating so hard on reining in the outcome of the problem. You haven’t worried about controlling the source.”

“What source?” Erika frowned.

“Your magic stems from your emotions,” Fairy Godmother explained. “You’ve been trying to control the magic. Stop doing that, and start trying to control your emotions. I’m not saying for you to not feel anything. Just- keep it small, and your magic will follow.” She smiled at Erika. “Trust me. I think this is the right route for you to take.”

Long after she was gone, Erika stayed on the bench, lost in her thoughts. _I’m not supposed to feel anymore? Instead of concealing my ice, I’m supposed to conceal my emotions?_ She sighed. _This just doesn’t feel right. Oh, wait. I’m not supposed to feel._

Erika stroked the frosty sleeves of her jacket. Her heart twisted in her chest. _I don’t want to do this. But…I could hurt my friends._ She remembered the ice that had begun coating Mollie’s treasured bow the instant she had it in her hands.

Something touched her leg, and she gasped, leaping to her feet. The little brown dog she had seen around the school was looking up at her, his head cocked to one side. Erika smiled at him. The dogs in Arendelle were closer to wolves than this cute little creature. “Hi, there,” she said, reaching down to stroke his back.

“Hi, there,” the dog replied.

Erika gasped. “ _Hva vi all verden?!_ You talk?”

“Dude!” The boy she had met after her fall came running up. “Hi. Did he scare you?”

“Um, a bit,” Erika replied. “I didn’t know Auradon had talking dogs.”

“Just Dude,” the boy said, holding out his arms. The dog- Dude, apparently- jumped right into them. “One of Mal’s spells gone wrong.” He looked back at her. “You said your name was Erika, right?”

“Yes,” Erika answered. “And you’re…Karl?”

He laughed. “Close. It’s Carlos.”

Erika sighed, sitting back down. “I knew that. I’m not very good with names, especially because the ones here are so different than the ones I heard back in Arendelle.” She stroked her jacket sleeve again. “Everything’s different.”

Carlos sat down next to her. “I know what you mean,” he said, scratching behind Dude’s ears. The dog made a happy noise. “Auradon was a big change for me, too.”

“I can imagine,” Erika answered. “Coming all the way from the Isle.” She stiffened as Dude sniffed her hand. “What’s it like there? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Carlos sighed. “It’s different. Everything’s more run-down. Graffiti all over the place, some of it courtesy of Mal. The sun doesn’t shine very often, so it’s…I don’t know, gray-ish. Everyone’s more…well, wicked.”

 _Wicked._ The word reminded Elsa of her mother’s portrait. She frowned slightly. “Prince Hans is there,” she said. “Did you ever meet him?”

Carlos shook his head. “I might have bumped into him a few times, but I wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a crowd. Mal might. She kind of ruled the place- along with her mother. She probably knows everyone.”

“Looks like she’s close to ruling Auradon as well,” Erika said.

Carlos laughed. “Yeah, she and Ben are pretty serious,” he replied. “Actually, Jay might know Hans, too. He’s probably _stolen_ from every person there.”

“Wow,” Erika said, eyebrows raised. “What a reputation.”

Carlos shrugged. “You did that kind of stuff there,” he responded. “All of us did, but Jay was the best at it. I once watched him steal an evil stepsister’s necklace while he was talking to her. She didn’t even notice. Mal never wasted time with subtlety. She…well, she terrorized everyone, trying to prove to her mom that she was evil enough.”

“Maleficent, right?” Erika asked. “I’ve heard the name, but I don’t know that much about her. Arendelle is kind of isolated, so I don’t know very much about the other kingdoms.”

“Yeah, Maleficent,” Carlos confirmed. “In a word? Terrifying. Almost as scary as my mom.” He stroked Dude. “Cruella de Vil isn’t really known for her good temper.”

“Cruella de Vil?” Erika had heard the name, but she didn’t know much about the woman. She made a mental note to look up both her and Maleficent later on.

Carlos nodded. “Yeah. She’s one of the more…unconventional villains. You know, instead of the whole overthrow-the-kingdom, steal-the-princess, all the more normal villain schemes, she went the murder-a-bunch-of-puppies route. At least she thought outside the box.” He reached over and scooped up Dude.

“There’s that, I guess,” Erika said. “Hans stuck to the take-over-the-kingdom bit for the most part. Besides trying to kill my mom, and nearly letting my aunt freeze to death.”

Carlos winced. “That’s pretty messed up,” he said. Dude squirmed out of his arms, going over to Erika and sniffing her hand. Erika stiffened as the little dog climbed into her lap.

Carlos noticed her distress. “It’s okay, he doesn’t bite,” he assured her.

Erika kept her eyes on Dude, waiting for frost to appear on his brown fur. “I’m just- I don’t want to hurt him,” she murmured.

Carlos frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I have my mother’s powers,” Erika explained. “Lately they’ve been- _I’ve_ been letting them spiral out of control.” She pointed to the nearly leafless tree. “Fairy Godmother isn’t happy.”

“I didn’t know you could do magic,” Carlos said, eyes wide. “I thought it was just witches, wizards, and fairies that could use it. Well, I guess there’s genies, too. But I don’t think Elsa is any of those.”

“Some people in Auradon have called Mama a witch,” Erika answered. “But she’s not. She’s just a princess who happened to be born with powers, like Rapunzel. No one calls her a witch.”

Carlos nodded. “That’s true. She’s just ‘Princess Rapunzel.’”

“Mama passed her powers down to me,” Erika continued. “I’m nowhere near as powerful as her, though. She can make snow creatures come to life. The most I can do is make an ice spike or two.” She looked down at Dude, who had curled up in her lap. “According to Fairy Godmother, though, I’m still dangerous.”

“Just because you’re dangerous doesn’t mean you can’t be good,” Carlos said. “There have been plenty of dangerous heroes. Beast, for example. Not exactly a perfect good guy.” Carlos smiled. “Take me and the other VKs, too. Everyone thought we were mini versions of our parents, but we showed them that they were wrong about us. I have a feeling you’ll show them that they were wrong about you, too.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked it. “I gotta go. Evie needs me for something. But it was great talking to you.”

“You, too,” Erika replied.

Carlos stood up and let out a short whistle. “Come on, Dude.”

The little dog got to his feet, shook himself, and jumped down to the ground, bouncing around Carlos’ heels. “She’s cool,” Erika heard Dude say as the two left, and she giggled.

Sitting back on the bench, Erika thought over Carlos’ words. _Who does Auradon think I am?_ She had started to realize the answer to that. Auradon had a set model of the perfect princess, and Audrey filled it right up. She got good grades, she was beautiful, she had impeccable manners… Auradon had expected Erika to be another Audrey, who simply happened to have ice powers. They hadn’t anticipated her freely using her magic. They hadn’t expected her to break the rules.

 _Who does Arendelle see me as?_ That one wasn’t hard. Her people saw her as royalty, but they also recognized her as one of them. It had taken only a few weeks for Arendelle to embrace the fact that their queen wielded magic. And Elsa had told Erika that when she was born, the people had celebrated, both when they heard of her birth and when they knew about her powers. Erika was accepted for who she was in Arendelle.

_But who am I? Who do I want to be?_

Erika sighed, propping her hands on her knees and resting her chin on them as she realized that that was just another question that she couldn’t answer.

_Maybe soon I’ll find out._


	11. Winter’s Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika’s History of Auradon class takes a familiar turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, chapter eleven! I put a few more of my OCs in here- try and guess who they are, and I’ll give you a shoutout before the next chapter isn’t uploaded. They should be pretty easy. I also added in someone from the movies who has been mysteriously missing from the picture. Call this chapter a celebratory back-to-school chapter, even though I “celebrate” that day with wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Erika gathered up her books as the bell rang. It wasn’t that she didn’t _like_ Grammar class. It was just so difficult for her. She had thought that it would be easy.

Erika had grown up speaking the common language of Arendelle, but she had been taught the language of Auradon as well. She could read and write the language, but she only ever wrote in the Auradon language during her lessons. The rest of the time, she spoke the Arendelle tongue and wrote in runes. Her lessons had stopped when she was around twelve, replaced with training from her mother.

But here, Erika had to speak and write a language she was unused to. It was hard. Her letters always mixed themselves up with the runes she was so familiar with. Instead of getting through the class easily, as she had hoped, she was struggling to reach her goals. It was frustrating.

“Erika! Hey, Erika!”

Erika turned to see Mollie running up to her. She smiled at her friend, and Mollie fell into step beside her as Erika slipped out of the classroom and down the hallway.

“Hey, Erika,” Mollie began, “I’m sorry aboot what happened yesterday. I didn’t know FG would get so mad. I thought it’d jest be fun ta hang out.”

“It’s fine, Mollie,” Erika answered. “I should have known that she still doesn’t want me using my powers freely. Really, it’s not your fault. I’m still trying to get used to restraining my magic. And I’m having to swallow a few camels to do it.”

Mollie stopped short. “Camels?” she echoed.

Erika blushed. “Sorry, it’s just something we say. I’m having to change the way I do things in order to follow the rules.”

“Oh,” Mollie said. “I was a wee bit confused.”

“Actually,” Erika continued, “everything in Auradon seems to be a new set of rules I have to follow. Even Grammar is hard for me now. I thought it would be easy, but it’s hard trying to keep Arendelle and Auradon apart in my head. In Chemistry yesterday, I almost gave Mr. Deley my assignment written partially in runes!” She let out a frustrated sigh as they neared the door to the History of Auradon classroom. “I can’t separate the two. I have to speak the Auradon language, but I still use the phrases I hear in Arendelle.”

Mollie nodded. “Aye, I know what ya mean,” she said. “Sometimes people can’t understand what I’m sayin’ because of me accent. They ask me ta talk more clearly.”

“What do you do?” Erika asked.

Mollie grinned. “I lay it on even thicker until I’m barely even speakin’ the Auradon language.”

“Mollie!” Erika gasped, collapsing into giggles at her mischievous friend.

“Ya know, you’ve got an accent yourself,” Mollie told her.

Erika frowned. “I do?”

Mollie nodded. “Ya don’t talk like Audrey, Chad, or Ben do. You say some words a wee bit differently. It’s not as obvious as mine, but it’s there. It also gets stronger whenever ya talk about Arendelle.”

Erika thought about it. She’d never noticed that she had an accent. She knew she spoke differently from the students who had grown up speaking the Auradon language, but she had never considered it an accent.

“I guess I’m just a little homesick,” she said as she opened the door to the History of Auradon classroom, letting Mollie go in first.

Mollie gasped and then turned around, a devilish smile on her face. “Not sure if this is gonna make ya more or less homesick, but look at the whiteboard.”

Erika gave her friend a curious glance and slipped through the door. She stared at the whiteboard, a strange feeling bubbling in her chest.

Beneath Fairy Godmother’s usual, cheerful _Welcome to Class!_ message, blue marker spelled out _Today’s Lesson: Arendelle._

“What’s wrong?” Mollie asked. “Ya don’t look near as excited as I thought you’d be.”

Erika’s mind traveled back to the small section on Arendelle in the library, the black thorns reading _Elsa_ in her textbook, and most of all, the villainous, evil portrait of her mother staining the page. She sighed, not wanting Mollie to know about her kingdom’s strained relationship with Auradon, and forced a smile onto her face. “Just surprised,” she answered, pulling out her chair and sitting down.

Mollie didn’t look convinced, but she plopped into her seat behind Erika.

More students trickled in. A blond boy Erika hadn’t met took one look at the board and frowned. “Who cares about some little hill country?” he sneered.

Audrey’s eyes flicked to Erika. “Be nice, Chad,” she said.

“Thank you, Audrey,” Fairy Godmother gushed, coming into the room. Audrey basked in the praise. “It just so happens that we have a student from that ‘little hill country’. Erika?”

Erika hid a blush with a thick layer of ice. “That would be me.”

Fairy Godmother smiled at her. “Well then! Let’s begin today’s lecture with a question, shall we? Who in this room- besides Erika, of course- knows anything about Arendelle?”

A scattering of students raised their hands. Fairy Godmother called on a girl with a long gold ponytail and a bright purple dress. “It’s a little hill country,” the girl said proudly.

Giggles ran throughout the room. Erika concealed another blush of embarrassment. Fairy Godmother’s ever-present smile dropped a bit. “Anyone else?”

Tam raised her hand, and Fairy Godmother nodded at her. Tam gave Erika a shy smile.

“Arendelle has mountains on three sides, and a fjord on the other boundary,” she began. “The weather is usually cool, and there are herds of wild reindeer in the mountains. Arendelle is ruled by Queen Elsa.” She sat down, nervously fingering her brown hair, and sent a glance toward Erika.

Erika smiled as she remembered telling Tam most of that in their conversation the day before. She nodded at Tam, and the girl sighed in relief.

“Very good, Tamarind,” Fairy Godmother said. “There are some details you left out, but you got the geography exactly right. Open your textbooks to page thirteen, and let’s learn about Arendelle’s flag.” She propped the thick textbook on her desk and began to read. “The flag of Arendelle, the only flag to not be featured on the wall outside the school, per Elsa’s request, is vertically divided into two sections. The hoist side is purple, and the fly side is dark green. The flag bears a golden crocus in the center. The purple represents royalty. Arendelle has been ruled by a monarchy since its early days, and the purple on the flag symbolizes their royal family. The green on the flag symbolizes a connection with nature. Arendelle’s first inhabitants were the rock trolls, who have a deep connection with nature. This connection, and the trolls themselves, are honored on Arendelle’s flag. The golden color of the crocus represents the sun. Arendelle, particularly the northern region, is one of the only kingdoms where the sun doesn’t set for a period of time, and doesn’t rise for a period of time. The crocus itself represents rebirth and resilience. Arendelle is, as Tam pointed out, an extremely cold place. The crocus is the first flower to bloom in Arendelle’s extreme winter, and it is a very hardy flower, able to survive in extreme cold.”

Erika mentally checked over Fairy Godmother’s lesson. So far, it was correct.

Fairy Godmother flipped to the next page. “Does anyone know when Arendelle officially became a part of Auradon?”

No one raised their hands this time.

“Well, then,” Fairy Godmother continued. She turned to the board and drew a timeline, pointing to the first dot. “This is the year that Beast and Belle forewent their honeymoon in order to unify the various kingdoms into the United States of Auradon. And this-“ she added a second dot a little distance away. “This is the time when Arendelle was officially made part of Arendelle, three years later. It was also the beginning of the third year of Elsa’s reign as queen.”

“The ice witch,” Chad said.

Erika gasped, feeling her chest grow hot at the insult to her mother.

“Chad, that kind of behavior is not acceptable in this school,” Fairy Godmother admonished him, her eyes flickering to Erika. She cleared her throat.

Erika looked down at her hands, flinching when she realized that her ice was starting to stain red. She breathed deeply in and out, and the ice faded back to barely-visible white against her skin. Fairy Godmother gave her an approving nod and continued with the lesson.

“King Beast sent an ambassador to Arendelle, since the kingdom did not have modern technology,” she said. “It took seven months for the decision to be finalized, and Arendelle was officially part of Auradon. King Beast offered to technologically modernize Arendelle, but the kingdom is very traditional. Elsa decided to keep her kingdom the same, and allow it to advance at its normal pace. This decision was strongly supported by Arendelle’s citizens.” She scanned further down the page. “Well, it looks like that’s all the information on this kingdom. Tomorrow’s lesson will be focused on…” she smiled at Audrey. “Auroria.”

Audrey beamed.

“But for now,” Fairy Godmother said, “we’re going to have a question-and-answer time. Erika, would you come up to the front, dear?”

_Å, nei._

Erika slowly got up and stood in front of the teacher’s desk. The woman clasped her hands and smiled. “Does anyone have any questions about Arendelle for Erika?”

To Erika’s surprise, several students raised their hands. Fairy Godmother pointed at one. “Jay?”

The VK smirked. “Are all the girls in Arendelle as pretty as you are?”

The class erupted in laughter. This time, Erika wasn’t fast enough to hide her blush.

Fairy Godmother sighed. “That will be enough of that, Jay,” she said, although she looked as if she was trying to hide a smile. “Next question.” She gestured toward a slender girl with a crimson feather braided into her red hair. “Piper?”

“What are the trolls like?” Piper wanted to know.

Relief surged over Erika. This was a question she could answer. “Well, they raised my uncle-in-law,” she answered. “They take on the appearance of rocks and burrow underground. They have extremely long lifespans, reaching to over seven hundred years old. The trolls look like they’re made of natural materials- their hair and clothes are made from grass, moss, and lichen, and they can grow mushrooms from their backs. All the trolls live in one place, the Valley of the Living Rock, and they have a very close-knit family group.”

“Are they nice?” Piper asked.

Erika nodded. “They’re very hospitable, and they’re always optimistic. My Uncle Kristoff calls them “love experts.” They saved my aunt’s life when she was just a little girl. They have an affinity for magic, and Grand Pabbie, the troll leader, is particularly skilled.”

“All right, let’s move on to another question,” Fairy Godmother instructed. “Hmm. Tansy?”

“What kind of food do you eat?” Tansy asked, propping her chin in her hands.

Erika laughed slightly. “We eat a lot of fish,” she replied. “Pickled herring is one of my favorites. We also have something called _plukkfisk,_ which is salted, boiled fish mixed into mashed potatoes. My Aunt Anna’s favorite is _lutefisk_ , which is dried cod soaked in lye. We also eat _fiskesuppe,_ which is pretty much just fish soup.”

“What do you eat besides fish?” Tansy questioned. Erika realized that she was diligently taking notes. _She must be very interested in food._

“We eat _svele_ in the afternoon _,_ ” she answered. “They’re very thin cakes- I think you would call them pancakes, and we top them with butter, along with syrup or brown cheese. In the autumn, we have _fårikål_ _,_  which is a type of thick stew made from lamb, pepper, cabbage, gravy, and boiled potatoes. My favorite dessert is probably _krumkake,_ which are sweet cookies stuffed with cream, chocolate, or jam.”

Fairy Godmother checked the clock. “We have time for two more questions, and then it’s off to lunch,” she said. “Let’s see. How about Elle?”

Erika hadn’t met this student. Elle had bronzed skin and thick, wild black curls. She fiddled with her enormous gold hoop earrings as she spoke. “How cold does it get in Arendelle?”

“In a word? Freezing,” Erika responded. “The summer is fairly warm to us, particularly in July, but people from Auradon would probably think it was cold. In winter, though, it can reach dangerously cold levels, especially high up in the mountains. We get a lot of snow, and the fjord often freezes over completely.”

“Last question,” Fairy Godmother announced. “Let’s take…Chad.”

The prince fixed Erika with a cold blue stare.

“So, Erika,” he began. “How does it feel to be the daughter of a villain?”

 

Å nei- oh, no


	12. Winter’s Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika deals with Chad’s insults, and the Princess Club has another meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, chapter twelve! Happy Labor Day, y’all! Chapter thirteen will be posted on Wednesday, and guess what? That chapter will mark the halfway point!

Erika stood motionless, staring at Chad. The prince met her gaze, his eyes challenging.

“Chad!” Fairy Godmother snapped. “We do not use our words to hurt in this classroom! You will apologize to Erika this instant.”

Chad shrugged. “Sorry.”

Erika’s mind was reeling. She barely even heeded the halfhearted apology. There had been that picture, that description in the Magical History textbook, but this was the first time someone had openly called her mother a villain. She recognized the familiar heat of anger in her chest, mixed with a strange heaviness in her stomach. She turned to Fairy Godmother. “C-can I sit down?”

“Of course, dear,” Fairy Godmother said, looking sympathetic.

Erika slipped back to her seat, rubbing her sleeves and watching the ice on her hands. The frost seemed to fluctuate from red to purple and back again. _Anger and sadness._ Erika focused on her breathing, trying to get the ice to fade to its normal white and blue. The colors grew lighter, but they were still red and purple.

Mollie tapped her shoulder, and Erika turned to her. _Are ya okay?_ Mollie mouthed. Erika nodded. Mollie jerked her chin towards Chad, and then pounded her fist into her palm.

A small smile tugged at Erika’s lips. She swiveled back around to find Fairy Godmother next to her desk.

“Are you doing all right?” the Headmistress quietly asked.

Erika knew what the question really meant. She showed Fairy Godmother the back of her hand, which had dissolved back to white with just a tinge of pink. Fairy Godmother gave her a smile. “Good girl.”

She turned and hurried back to the front, clapping her hands for attention. “All right, students, class dismissed,” she declared. “Head to the cafeteria for lunch.”

Erika gathered up her books and slipped out. Tam and Mollie appeared on either side of her.

“Chad’s a jerk,” Tam announced. “Don’t listen to a thing he says.”

Erika let a small smile slip onto her face. “Who is he?” she asked.

“He’s Prince Charmin’ and Cinderella’s son,” Mollie explained. “Thinks he’s all that. He wants ta be king.”

“But Ben’s the king,” Erika said, confused. “And by the way, where was he today?”

“He doesn’t attend school every day,” Tam told her. “Sometimes he has king business to take care of, like meetings and stuff.” She paused. “Do you want to talk to him about Chad?”

Erika sighed. “Do you think it would help?”

Tam nodded emphatically. “Ben will understand. He knows what a bully Chad can be. But here’s a tip: Chad’s also a coward. You can bet that if your mother was in the room, Chad would be sucking up to her like nobody’s business.”

They entered the cafeteria, and Mollie slipped into line. Tam turned to Erika. “You hungry?”

Erika shrugged. “Not very.”

“Okay, I’ll get you something light,” Tam said, joining Mollie in line. Erika found an empty table and sat down.

To her surprise, Audrey slipped into the seat across from her. “Sorry about that little display in there,” she murmured. “Chad can be an idiot.”

“You know him?” Erika asked, surprised.

Audrey tossed her hair back. “I know everyone who’s anyone in Auradon. Besides, he’s my boyfriend.”

Erika’s eyes widened. “Chad is your boyfriend?”

“Well, after Ben broke up with me, I had to go with the next best option,” Audrey explained. “But that’s not why I wanted to talk to you.” She slid a pink card across the table. “Princess Club meeting after school? We aren’t going to go anywhere. We’re just going to talk in my dorm room.” She eyed Erika. “I think a talk would help.”

Erika sighed, pushing her white waves out of her face. “You may be right.”

Audrey smiled. “I’m always right,” she answered. “Mollie’s invited too, but, unfortunately for your other friend, she isn’t a princess.” She stood up as Tam approached. “See you later, Erika.”

“Audrey was being nice?” Tam said, surprised. “That’s new for her, especially with no teachers around.”

“She has a club that Mollie and I are part of,” Erika said slowly. “A club for…princesses.”

Tam grinned. “I know,” she answered. “I’m friends with Blondie. She told me.” She put her hand on Erika’s shoulder, jerking it back when she felt the cold. “I’m fine if you go, Erika. I think it could help if you talked to someone. And Audrey may even talk to Chad about his behavior.”

She set a steaming cup down in front of Erika and then put something in a napkin next to it. “Hot lavender tea,” she said, pointing to the cup. “It’s soothing. Helps with stress. And then-“ she unwrapped the napkin. “Chocolate cake. Whenever you’re upset, turn to chocolate.”

Erika smiled. “I _love_ chocolate.” She reached for the cake and took a bite, sighing in delight. “I already feel better.”

“Try the tea,” Tam urged.

 Erika took the cup, staring at it. “I’m actually not sure if I can drink this,” she said.

“Lavender allergy?”

“No,” Erika answered, shaking her head. “It’s hot. Sometimes heat does things to me. Also…” she picked up the cup. The steam curled and dissipated, the liquid inside cooling as soon as it came into contact with Erika’s fingers.

“Well, it isn’t hot now,” Tam said. Erika smiled and took a sip. To her surprise, the tea was still slightly warm. It tasted thick, but good. She sipped it slowly.

“So, how cold are you?” Tam asked. “Like, right now?”

Erika stretched out her hand. “I’m a little below freezing,” she said.

Tam hesitantly touched her skin. “You feel exactly like an ice cube,” she told Erika. “But dry instead of wet.”

Erika finished the last of her tea just as Mollie appeared, carrying a loaded tray. “What’d Audrey want?” the redhead asked through a full mouth.

“The Princess Club is meeting today in Audrey’s dorm room,” Erika told her. “She said that we were invited.”

“What about Tam?” Mollie tore off another bite of her lunch and swallowed without even chewing.

Tam shrugged. “I’m not a princess, so I’m not invited. It’s fine by me- Audrey isn’t the kind of person I want to hang out with.” She looked up at the clock. “What classes do you have next?”

“Math,” Mollie and Erika said together.

 Tam winced. “My condolences. I have Safety Rules for the Internet, which I’m failing in. Hard to get a computer up and running in the middle of the jungle.” She sighed. “Well, we’d better get going.”

 

Mollie stuffed another bite of her food into her mouth. “Yeah,” she mumbled. “Because I’m in such a hurry ta get ta Math.”

* * *

 

“Is everyone here?” Audrey asked brightly. She was sitting primly, her legs dangling off the edge of her way-too-pink bed. Mollie slouched against the wall next to Lonnie, and Tansy perched behind Audrey. Erika had taken a chair, painted the same pink as the bed. “My roommate is busy, so we’ve got the place to ourselves. Do we have all six princesses in the room?”

As if on cue, the girl with the long ponytail Erika had seen in class burst through the door. “I’m here! I’m here,” she panted, throwing down a brightly painted satchel. The girl had paint splotches on her cheeks and nose.

“R!” Tansy jumped up and threw her arms around the girl. “You finally made it!”

“Hey, Blondie,” Lonnie said nonchalantly.

“Mollie, Erika, this is Rapunzel’s daughter, the princess of Corona,” Audrey introduced the girl.

The girl waved. “You can call me R, or Blondie, or Sunshine, or whatever,” she said cheerfully.

Audrey cleared her throat. “This meeting of princesses is now in session,” she announced. “Today’s order of business-“ she let out a long sigh. “My idiot boyfriend.”

“I wasn’t in the class,” Lonnie said. “What happened exactly?”

Erika sighed. “The lesson was on Arendelle,” she explained quietly. “After the lecture, Fairy Godmother called me up to answer questions. The last question was from Chad. He- he asked me how it felt to be the daughter of a villain.”

Lonnie frowned. “Elsa isn’t a villain,” she said. “I can see why Chad’s taking the History course.”

“Most people in Auradon haven’t heard the whole story,” Erika continued. “When they hear about Mama freezing Aunt Anna’s heart and sending her kingdom plunging into eternal winter, they assume that she’s the villain. Apparently Chad Charming is one of those people.”

Lonnie rubbed her hands together, looking a bit like a villain herself. “I can’t wait for fencing practice,” she said. “I’m going to make that boy miserable.” She let loose an evil cackle.

“Tone it down, Lonnie,” Audrey advised. But a smile danced around her lips.

“Audrey, why in the world do you date him?” Tansy asked. “He’s so dumb.”

“He’s _royalty,_ ” Audrey answered. “Duh. Even dumb royalty inherits a crown.”

Tansy giggled. “Don’t you already have a crown?”

“Ruling two kingdoms is better than ruling one kingdom,” Audrey explained. “Chad and I will be the rulers of Auroria and Cinderellasburg, second only to-“ she huffed. “Ben.”

“Don’t forget Mal,” Mollie said. “She’ll be Ben’s queen.”

Audrey folded her arms. “We’ll see,” she snapped. “Things could change.”

The room went quiet at Audrey’s unexpected outburst. Audrey cleared her throat slightly. “So, Erika,” she said. “I still have a few unanswered questions about Arendelle. Are you up for another question-and-answer time? Just us princesses, no Chad?”

Erika sighed. “If you really have questions, then I’ll answer them.”

“Great.” Audrey leaned down and put her elbows on her knees, resting her chin in her hands. A single tendril of pale brown hair fell perfectly into her face. “So, what’s your favorite thing about living in Arendelle?”

“The northern lights,” Erika answered without hesitation. “Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve watched them out my window at night. Whenever Aunt Anna sees them, she says that the sky’s awake.”

Tansy leaned forward. “Can I ask about food again?”

Erika laughed, already feeling better. “Sure, Tansy,” she replied.

“You told us your favorite dessert,” Tansy said, “but what’s your favorite food overall? And what’s your least favorite?”

Erika closed her eyes and thought. “I have two,” she answered. “I love Aunt Anna’s _fiskeboller._ Those are little balls made from fish, milk, flour, and eggs. We have it a lot. My other favorite is when Uncle Kristoff takes me up into the mountains, looking for cloudberries. We’ve done it every summer since I was five. They taste amazing on their own, but we always bring some back. The cooks serve them with cream, and then they’re absolutely heavenly.”

“What’s your least favorite food?” Tansy pressed.

Erika smiled. “I’ve never been very fond of _smalahove,_ ” she said.

“What is that?” Tansy once again had a notebook down and was writing down what Erika told her.

“Um…” Erika searched for the right words to explain the dish. “It’s a smoked, salted sheep’s head.”

Groans and shrieks erupted around the room. Audrey actually looked green, and even Mollie was staring at Erika in shock. “An entire _head_?” she echoed.

Erika nodded. “Supposedly the fatty parts around the ears and eyes taste the best.”

Audrey gagged and waved her hands wildly. “Too much!” she called. “Next question! Now!”

“What does your language sound like?” R said. “Say something.”

Erika laughed. “What should I say?”

A mischievous look crossed Mollie’s face. “Say ‘Chad is a big, dumb jerk,’” she suggested, and laughter ran around the room.

Erika tipped her head and thought. “ _Tsjad er en stor stum rykk,”_ she said. Mollie howled. Tansy collapsed flat on her back, laughing. Audrey giggled, and even Lonnie cracked a smile.

“All right, all right, my turn,” she said. She narrowed her eyes, thinking. “What does your magic look like?”

Erika stared at her. “Like ice,” she answered slowly. More laughter echoed off the walls.

“I’ve heard it can change color,” Lonnie continued. “Can you show us?”

Erika shook her head. “It only changes color based on my emotions,” she said. “I’m supposed to control them. Fairy Godmother said I’m only allowed to use my ice to keep myself cool.”

“What FG doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Audrey remarked. “Come on, Erika. Give us a show.”

Erika sighed. “All right,” she relented. “Fine. I’ll do it.” She stood up and held out her hand.

“Watch.”


	13. Winter’s Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika reveals her powers to the Princess Club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIVE!! 
> 
> Sorry this is so late (again.) I had a pretty rough week last week, and to top it off, I was sick the beginning of this week and couldn’t get much writing done. But the next chapter will be posted Sunday afternoon.
> 
> Also: this chapter marks the HALFWAY POINT! We are halfway through this book! It has been so fun to write this story and get Erika out of my head and onto the Internet. (Why did that sound so weird?) 
> 
> I am going to shut up now and let you guys read the new chapter.

The girls leaned forward eagerly. Even Lonnie looked interested.

Erika took a deep breath, focusing on her hands. Slowly, shards of ice started to creep up her arms, layering over themselves like plates of armor. Tansy let out a soft “ooh!”

Erika closed her eyes, enjoying the chill as her skin froze. The diamond-shaped pieces of ice covered her arms, then her shoulders and chest. Erika frowned, concentrating. She’d never made herself a complete outfit like this, and it was starting to strain her. She inhaled, letting the ice move down her stomach and over her legs. The princesses watched, entranced, as blue and white ice cloaked Erika’s hair in a jagged-textured hood. Erika’s limbs trembled as the ice crawled over her legs. The frozen diamonds stopped at Erika’s ankles. She looked down, sucked in more of the too-hot air, and mentally commanded the ice to cover her feet.

The ice didn’t move.

Erika frowned, focusing as hard as she could. She pulled the protective layer of frost from her skin and tried to move it down to her legs, but the diamond plates barely lengthened. Erika finally let her breath out and sagged against Audrey’s rosy pink dresser. “I think that’s all I’ve got,” she gasped.

The princesses applauded. Lonnie let out an approving whistle.

“That was cool,” she said. “No pun intended. You looked like you were wearing some kind of armor made of ice.”

Erika smiled. She waved her hand over her body, and the frozen plates dissipated into floating blue and white particles. She swirled them into a snow flurry and sent it whirling around each princess in turn before calling it back to her, transforming it into her cloak of frost and letting it settle onto her skin.

“So why didn’t you make a complete outfit?” R asked, hugging her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Erika sighed and sat down. “I’m still honing my magic,” she explained. “Mama could probably make a complete one, but I’m not half as powerful as she is. I might be able to do it in Arendelle, but the air in Auradon is just too hot. It’s why I have to keep myself covered in frost.”

“That’s interesting,” Audrey said. “Is that what made you pass out that day in class?”

Erika nodded. “Something made me overheat,” she answered.

“What?” Audrey pressed. “What was it?”

Erika clenched her fist, not wanting to tell the girls about the villainous portrait of Queen Elsa. “It was nothing,” she replied. “Just some stress about a new school.”

“Hey, it wasn’t all bad,” Mollie broke in, a mischievous grin breaking on her face. “Ya got carried to Nurse Flora’s office by Jay, and ya know he’s hot.”

Giggles raced around the room, and Erika buried her face in her lap to hide her coloring cheeks.

“Jay really is hot,” Audrey said. “I mean, for a VK. I still prefer the classic prince type, like Chad or Ben, but Jay’s pretty good-looking. All that leather is a good look for him.”

“He’s _dreamy,_ ” Blondie breathed with a sigh.

Lonnie pushed herself straighter against the wall, looking thoroughly bored with the conversation. “He can fight, I’ll give him that,” she said.

“What about his little friend?” Tansy asked. “The one with the dog?”

Audrey flopped flat on her back, laughing. Of course, she somehow managed to stay looking like a perfect princess the entire time. “ _Carlos?_ ” she finally gasped. “You think _Carlos_ is hot?”

Tansy shrugged. “I mean, definitely not as hot as Jay,” she said. “But you have to admit, he’s kinda cute.”

Audrey laughed again. “He’s such a nerd,” she replied. “Besides, his hair is just…weird. I don’t really like many unnatural hair colors- black-and-white, for one. Or dark blue, or _purple._ ” She grimaced.

“I’m getting mine dyed green and yellow,” Tansy said.

“Well, on _you,_ it might look okay,” Audrey relented. “And everything looks good on me, of course. But I’d only ever consider dying my hair either pink or sky blue, maybe both. Most other colors just look strange.”

For just an instant, her eyes strayed to Erika’s rippling near-white waves. Erika ran her fingers through the strands, trying to figure out if Audrey meant her.

“Ariel’s hair is pretty unnatural,” Lonnie remarked. “It’s apple-red. And Ariel’s a queen.”

Erika cocked her head. Lonnie seemed to enjoy pointing out all the princesses that broke the mold of Audrey’s- _Auradon’s-_ idea of a perfect princess. She wondered if it was because Lonnie’s mother was so nontraditional. Mulan definitely couldn’t be described as a perfect princess.

“I think that’s a mermaid thing,” Audrey said. “I doubt Ariel dyes her hair.”

“Me mum’s hair is red,” Mollie commented.

Audrey laughed. “So is yours, Mollie.”

Mollie blushed, grabbing a handful of her ginger curls. “I forgot.”

“My aunt has red hair, too,” Erika said. “But hers is straight. There used to be a white streak in it.”

Audrey nodded. “That was your mom, right?” she asked. “From her powers?”

Erika tensed. “Yes,” she answered finally. “It was an accident when they were little.”

“Could you do that?” Tansy questioned, eyes wide.

“I-I guess I could,” Erika said. “I think.”

Tansy bounced over to Erika and plopped down in front of her. “Do me! Add a white streak in my hair!”

Erika gasped. “Tansy, I can’t!” she cried. “It could have killed my aunt if it had hit her heart!”

“Just ice it,” Tansy said. “You can melt your ice, right? Just let me see it, and then take it off. Please, Erika? I want to see what I’d look like!”

Erika blew out her breath. “O-okay,” she answered. “Hold still.”

Tansy squealed.

Erika lifted her hands to Tansy’s bouncy black curls. She was surprised to find that her hands were shaking. Slowly inhaling, Erika found a small strand of Tansy’s hair, wrapped her fingers around it, and started to coat it with ice. She closed her eyes and focused, moving slowly.

“That’s so cold!” Tansy gasped, startling her.  

“Duh, Tansy,” Audrey replied. “It’s ice. Ice is cold.” Laughter rippled through the girls.

Erika smiled and looked down at her work. Her smile dropped.

Tansy’s curl was perfectly coated in miniscule dots of frost. The cold material was darker than usual because of the black hair visible through it.

But what worried Erika was that it was pale yellow.

 _Yellow for fear,_ she heard her mother’s voice say in her mind. _What am I so afraid of that it dyes my ice?_

“Let me see!” Tansy bounced up and peered into Audrey’s mirror. She let out another squeal. “It’s _yellow!_ I love it! It matches my shirt!” She gestured to her yellow-green tunic. “It’s perfect!” She threw her arms around Erika, quickly retreating at the chill. “I didn’t know you could make your ice change color! Thanks, Erika!”

“Um…you’re welcome,” Erika stammered. “It’ll melt off in about a day.” _She…liked it? My fear dyed my ice, but my colored ice made her…happy._ She wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“Wow,” Lonnie said. “Colored ice. Neat.” She stood up and walked over. “Could you give me a blue streak? To match my tourney uniform?”

Erika nodded, taking a deep breath and shaking out her hands. Lonnie sat down in front of her, and Erika worked quickly, releasing the fear and letting the joy of making her friends happy fill her. The frost faded from the pale yellow to white, and then changed to a vibrant blue. This time, it was easier, and soon, a strand of Lonnie’s long, dark brown hair had been coated in blue frost.

“You know, Mal used to do this kind of thing,” Lonnie remarked, stroking her hair. “That’s why my hair looks like this- she changed it with her magic before she swore off of it. She did Jane’s, too.”

“Really?” Erika asked. “I didn’t know that.”

“Too bad she couldn’t change her _own_ hair from that horrifying purple,” Audrey sneered. “Or her little sidekicks’ from blue and black-and-white.”

“I think Evie’s hair looks great,” Blondie said with a shrug. “Her everything looks great.” She examined Lonnie’s blue ice streak. “Ooh! Lonnie that looks awesome! Erika, can you do mine purple? Or pink?”

“Ugh, if you like leather,” Audrey huffed. “Seriously, do those four wear anything else? At least the other VKs have made an effort to be more like us.” She rolled her eyes. “Most of them, anyway.”

Blondie plopped down in front of Erika. “Do mine!”

Erika stared at the girl’s impossibly long, blonde ponytail. “Um, I think it would take me at least three hours to coat a strand of this in ice,” she said. “Besides, I haven’t mastered red and purple yet.”

She winced inwardly at the lie. _I can’t show anger. I shouldn’t be showing my emotions enough to color my ice at all!_

Blondie’s smile never wavered. “That’s fine,” she said. “It probably wouldn’t stick anyway. Indestructible hair, thanks to a bunch of weird rocks.”

“I thought it was a magic flower.” Erika frowned, confused. _Maybe Auradon isn’t the only kingdom to get stories wrong._

Blondie giggled. “It was, the first time. It could heal people, too. Then my dad cut it off, but then Mom touched some shiny black rocks. And then her hair grew back, but instead of healing people, it grew back indestructible. And it saved her life a few times.” She panted for breath. “My mom’s had an interesting life.”

“My mom dressed up as a man and single-handedly saved China,” Lonnie said.

“My mom opened her own restaurant!” Tansy beamed. “I’m going to run it someday.”

“Me mum fought a demon bear!” Mollie added.

Audrey smiled delicately. “My mom married her prince and became queen of all the land,” she said. “Someday, I’m going to do the same thing.” She turned to Erika. “What did your mom do, again?”

There was something strange in her eyes, something that looked familiar but was impossible to read. Erika felt the layer of frost on her skin thicken slightly. She cleared her throat, suddenly determined to let Auradon know the real story. “My _tante_ sacrificed herself to save Mama’s life,” she declared. “And Mama’s love thawed her frozen heart and saved our kingdom.”

“This is why we’re always going to be better than the VKs,” Audrey declared regally. “They don’t have stories like ours. All they can claim is that their parents _almost_ got away with whatever evil scheme or plan they had. Heroes will always defeat villains.”

The girls clapped, and Audrey smiled at them from atop the bed, looking like the queen she would someday be. Erika frowned. Audrey seemed to have a grudge against the VKs, and villains in general, which was understandable. But the way she grew tense and upset whenever Mal or one of her friends was mentioned in a positive light- it was unsettling. Audrey’s less-than-glowing ideas about the villain kids didn’t match up with the kids Erika had met. Evie had been the first to ignore the magic that alienated Erika from the other students. Jay, well- he was a flirt, but he was nice. He had carried Erika into the nurse’s office, after all. And Carlos had been the first person in Auradon that Erika had felt comfortable opening up to. As for Mal, Erika had only talked to her a few times. The purple-haired girl almost seemed to avoid her. _Maybe Audrey’s right about her. But she’s wrong about the others._

The rest of the Princess Club meeting passed quickly. Erika did one or two more little tricks with her ice, including molding a tiny Sundrop flower for Blondie, since she hadn’t streaked her hair with ice. The girls had gasped in awe as the flower bloomed above Erika’s palm, glowing white bits of ice coming together to form layers of delicate petals. Erika lifted the flower to her face and blew her frost over it, sealing it in the unbreakable frost. She handed it to Blondie, who squealed happily and threw her arms around Erika.

“It’s so pretty!” she said admiringly. “How did you know what the Sundrop looks like?”

“It’s on the flag of Corona,” Erika answered. “I’ve seen it before.” She pointed. “Besides, it’s on your bag.”

Blondie looked down at her canvas tote bag, paintbrushes and a palette sticking haphazardly out of the top. She had lavishly applied the paint to the bag, and a massive golden flower adorned the front, surrounded by smaller flowers and several random splotches of color. The girl laughed, tucking her flower into the base of her ponytail. “I forgot I painted that. Well, I better get going. I want to get some painting done before dinner.” She ran a hand over the ice sculpture and stood up. “I’m going to call it the Icedrop! I wonder if I could paint a whole field of them? Add a little blue, maybe some lilac purple, and add some light green to make them look transparent..” She wandered out the door, mumbling about colors and hues and shading. Audrey rolled her eyes.

“She never stops talking, does she? Oh, well. Does anyone have any ideas for our next meeting?”

The room was silent. Audrey shrugged. “Guess I’ll take the lead again! Watch for those little pink invitations! They could be anywhere!” She jumped off the bed in a flurry of pink and imitated the sound of a bell ringing. “Meeting adjourned!”

Mollie bolted for their dorm room as soon as she got into the hall. “Mollie, slow down!” Erika panted, still tired from her ice display. “I can’t go that…”

A dark figure shot from behind one of the pillars, forcing Erika into the shadows at the end of the hall. Erika gasped, spikes of ice already forming over her palm as a voice hissed into her ear.

“Looks like you’re not as good as you seem behind closed doors.”

 

 

Tante- aunt 


	14. Winter’s Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika faces off against a rival, and learns that there is more to Auradon than meets the eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, I’m sorry this is so late, guys! I’m on vacation and hotel WiFi is sketchy.
> 
> I’m actually going to stop talking and let you get to it.

“What are you talking about?” Erika gasped, pushing Mal back. “And let go of me!” She pulled in a deep breath, forcing the icy spikes that had begun to form on her palms to retreat.

 

Mal shook her hands, which were wet from Erika’s ice, and flicked back a lock of purple, letting Erika see the fury in her eyes. “You’re a fake,” she accused, propping her hands on her hips. “Parading around in front of Fairy Godmother, in front of Ben, in front of all of Auradon. Pretending to be the perfect princess, getting good grades, following the rules-“ she scoffed. “Until now, at least.”

 

“Mal, what are you saying?” Erika said, her heart racing.

 

“I keep an eye on you,” Mal answered sharply. “You and anyone else who could be a danger to Auradon. After Uma, I’m not going to let anything threaten this kingdom. Including you.”

 

“I know my powers are potentially dangerous, but _hvorfor i all verden_ I ever do anything  to Auradon?” Erika protested. “I’ve been trained for years to stay in control of my powers. There’s no reason that they would ever-“

 

“Ever what?” Mal demanded. “Go out of control? Like Elsa’s? Well, let me tell you, you’re getting pretty close.”

 

Erika mirrored Mal’s threatening stance, watching the older girl’s eyes widen before narrowing back to catlike slits. “First of all, my mother is royalty,” she said. “She should be addressed as _Queen_ Elsa, as I’ve already told you. Second, I’ve kept to Fairy Godmother’s rules so far, except for one or two small incidents.” Her mind flashed back to her practice with Mollie. She flinched inwardly, although on the outside she stayed as solid and strong as her ice. She focused back in on Mal’s voice.

 

“...those weren’t _small_ incidents, Erika. Literally five minutes ago, you were coloring girls’ hair with your ice. That could have serious consequences. What if the ice is too cold? What if it doesn’t melt off like you think it will? And that tree in the courtyard? The one you and Mollie shot at? You didn’t just knock the leaves off. No tree could withstand your type of cold. You killed it.”

 

“I didn’t know that,” Erika said, her heart sinking. _Has everyone heard about this?_

 

“And I’m Ben’s girlfriend,” Mal continued. “He tells me everything. He told me about that little conversation you two had in the library. Oh, and he also told me that you got angry and nearly sent a spike of ice into his throat.” Her eyes blazed brilliant green, distracting Erika momentarily. _Have her eyes always been that color?_

 

She shook off her thoughts and answered Mal. “I did get angry,” she admitted. “I thought Auradon was ignoring Arendelle. Ben showed me that I was wrong. He showed me the truth. And that icicle was no more than an inch long, by the way. I wasn’t _that_ angry.” 

 

“Your mother’s winter started with a touch,” Mal countered. “You could have _killed Ben_.”

 

With that simple sentence, Erika was suddenly able to look past the rage in Mal’s bottle-green eyes. Disguised behind the rage, she saw fear- fear of her, for Ben. For all her tough exterior, Mal was inwardly terrified of losing him. She masked the fear as anger to keep up appearances, but it was there. Erika understood the feeling of putting on a mask. She had been playing a role since she had stepped onto Auradon soil. She knew what Mal was feeling, because she was feeling it too.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said, letting her voice grow softer. “About all of it. The tree was an accident- I didn’t think it would die. The girls begged me to ice their hair after hearing about my tante’s white streak. I didn’t want to let them down. And Ben- I’m sorry, Mal. I didn’t realize that my anger would target him.” She sighed, her fingers playing along the edge of her sleeve. “Fairy Godmother already told me that in order to control my powers, I have to control the source- my emotions. I’m working on it, but I’ve used my powers freely for so long that it’s hard to change.”

 

Mal’s face softened, and when she spoke, the anger had drained out of her words. “It can be hard, restraining your emotions. I had to do it every day back on the Isle. Couldn’t have the daughter of the Mistress of All Evil showing any feelings. Besides evil, that is.” She let out a short laugh. “You should have seen Mom when I told her about Jay, Evie, and Carlos. I swear, if she could have, she’d have set the entire island on fire. As it was, she raged at me for hours about how I was supposed to follow in her footsteps. ‘Villains don’t have friends, they have minions!’” Mal did an imitation of what Erika assumed was Maleficent’s voice.

 

“I can’t imagine what that must have been like,” Erika said. “My mama never yelled at me.”

 

Mal shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable. “It’s pretty common on the Isle. All of our parents were like that, to some extent. I think Carlos had it the worst. Cruella de Vil is a real piece of work.” She folded her arms. “But that’s all behind us. We’re here, they’re not, everything’s fine. Besides the tentacled sea witch swimming loose  somewhere, that is.”

 

A thought struck Erika, and she furrowed her brow. “Didn’t _you_ change girls’ hair when you first came to Auradon?”

 

Mal blew out her breath, making her choppy bangs fly up. “I did. I even got paid for it. But I was fresh from the Isle. A VK. I didn’t know any better. You, on the other hand? Your kingdom is part of Auradon. You should know the rules, and you should follow them. Even I don’t use magic anymore.”

 

“I have to use mine,” Erika said. “It’s too hot for me here. I have to keep myself cool, and the only way to do that is to use my ice.”

 

Mal held up her hands. “I get that. The fairies do the same thing with their pixie dust. If you need magic to survive, you’re allowed to use it. But shooting leaves off a tree? Coloring hair? That’s not necessary.”

 

“I understand that now,” Erika assured her. “I won’t do anything other than keep myself cool. I promise.”

 

Mal nodded. Her face turned stern. Erika frowned slightly. Mal’s expression looked almost exactly like Ben’s had in the library.  _She might make a good queen someday._

 

“Make sure you do,” Mal said firmly. “We haven’t had to send a hero to the Isle yet. You don’t want to be the first.”

 

Erika locked eyes with the older girl. “You have my word.”

 

Mal’s smile reappeared, dancing around her lips. “Good girl.”

* * *

Erika shut the door of her dorm behind her and collapsed onto her bed. “What’d Mal want?” Mollie wanted to know. “She looked madder than a wet hen.”

 

Erika frowned at the odd phrase, but didn’t ask what it meant. She sighed, spreading her limbs out on her ice-coated bedding.

Strangely, it wasn’t as comforting as it usually was. 

 

“She just wanted to make sure I wasn’t misusing my magic,” Erika answered. “I have no idea why she looked so angry about it, but it was fine. Just a talk.”

 

Mollie didn’t look convinced. Erika decided to change the subject. “Is it warmer than usual in here?” she asked. 

 

Mollie took the bait. “Aye, I turned up the heat,” she replied. “It’s gettin colder outside, and I’m not immune to ice like ya are. Yer shirt’s drippin’, by the way.”

 

Erika looked down at her white lace shirt. The thin coat of ice on her skin had begun to melt in the unexpected heat, sending cold water trickling down her body. _So that’s why I’m not cool enough._

 

She got off the bed and put her hand to the frost-stiff fabric, closing her eyes as she let another layer of ice spread from her outstretched fingers. She poured more cold into this ice, feeling the freezing air ripple out around her legs like waves crashing onto the sand.

 

When she opened her eyes to survey her work, she clapped her hands to her mouth to stifle a scream. 

 

The ice was a brighter yellow than she had ever seen. Not the soft yellow that sometimes appeared in the Northern Lights above Arendelle, but a harsh, inescapable, ugly yellow. Erika stared down at her shaking hands. _Blue for joy, red for anger...yellow for fear. What am I so afraid of that...that this happens?_

 

She ran back over her conversation with Mal in her head. _You’re a fake...parading around...getting pretty close...am I afraid of my own powers?_ She doubted it. Auradon may be afraid of her ice and her mother’s, but Erika had grown up accepting and loving what she could do. Not even realizing how dangerous she was could change that. 

 

_So what is it? What did she say that made me so scared?_ Erika replayed more of the conversation. _You killed it...almost sent a spike of ice into his throat...could have killed Ben...did it every day...all behind us...didn’t know any better..._

 

And then she found it, and it was such a terrifying thought that she had to sit down on the bed in case she fell. Her mind played Mal’s voice over and over in her ears. _“We haven’t had to send a hero to the Isle yet. I don’t want you to be the first.”_

 

Erika trembled at the idea, remembering Carlos’ description of the Isle of the Lost. _No magic, no ice. I’d overheat in just a few days. It- it would be a death sentence._

 

She gasped as another thought entered her mind. _If they took me...they would take Mama, too. They think we’re both dangerous. It wouldn’t matter if it was just me that went out of control. They would take her, too._

 

Nausea filled her senses, and she wrapped her body in another layer of the ice, trying to gain a little comfort from the cold. For the first time, she was realizing that Auradon was more than the shining paradise it was painted as. There was an ugly side to the perfect kingdom, a dark underbelly cloaked in tales of beauty and heroism. It was like seeing a gleaming gold coin lying in the street, only to pick it up and find the other side of the coin dirty and dark. _Heads or tails? Light or dark? Auradon or the Isle?_

 

Erika drew her knees up to her chest, shivering like she never had before. Cold had never bothered her. It had always been her consolation, her refuge. If she felt afraid or uncomfortable, the frost protected her, a barrier from whatever outside thing was threatening her. But this was a different, unfamiliar, dark kind of cold, and it was coming not from outside, but from somewhere deep in her heart. She hated it as much as she was afraid of it. This cold wasn’t comforting or protective or safe. It wasn’t even cold, not the kind of cold that came from snow and ice. This cold was pure fear, sinking into Erika like a stone into the fjord. She tried to force it out, but it stayed heavy in her chest. She sighed, resting her chin on her knees, and tried to focus on the one thing that she wanted most of all in that moment. 

 

_Home_. Erika closed her eyes and concentrated on all the little things she remembered about Arendelle. Mountain flowers, Sven’s velvet fur, Tante Anna’s dress, the gold crocus on our flag, Mama’s hands. For some reason she couldn’t explain, that thought lodged in her brain. She remembered every little detail of her mother’s hands. Soft. White. Cold. Bare. 

 

_Bare_. Erika lifted her head, glaring at the sickly yellow dying her bed. 

Her mind flashed to that first day in Auradon, to the gloves Fairy Godmother had offered her. Her mother had worn gloves so similar to those until the fateful night of her coronation. Erika remembered times when she was younger, listening to Elsa tell her about royal events she had been to recently. Erika loved her mother’s vivid descriptions of the guests’ outfits. But she sometimes mentioned gloves on the ladies and princesses.  Even when it was required by a dress code, Elsa never wore gloves. She had even been turned away from one or two events for it. But her hands had stayed exposed and free. In the coldest Arendelle winter, when most of the women and even the men tucked their hands deep into mittens and muffs, Elsa kept hers out. It wasn’t just because she didn’t feel cold. Elsa was not afraid to show everyone what she could do. 

 

Erika thought back to her last day in Arendelle. She’d promised her mother that she would not hide her powers. But if she freely used her gift, she and her mother would be sent to the Isle- which they couldn’t survive.

 

_So which is worth more- my life or my promise?_

 


	15. Winter’s Surrender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika gives in to Auradon after a disastrous day of class...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, again. I’m getting so excited for Frozen 2!! 
> 
> I have a schedule all written out now, so chapters should be regular from now on.
> 
> Anyway...

Erika groaned mentally as she stared down at her math test. She _despised_ Auradon’s math. She could never remember which numbers meant what.

She tapped her pencil on the first problem. _Okay. It’s_ multiplikasjon. _Not so bad._ She frowned at the neat column of numbers. _That number is…_ to, null, en, tre… to tusen ogg tretten. _And the one I’m supposed to_ multiplisere _it by…_ to, sju…tjuesju. _Let’s see._ She rubbed her jacket sleeve as she thought. _That would mean the answer has to be_ femtifire tusen, tre hundre femti en! _But now I have to put that back into Auradon numbers._

She worked slowly through the next three problems, translating the numbers into her own language and then back into Auradon’s script. It was a tedious process, made even harder by her wandering mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about the Isle and what might happen if she and her mother were sent there. Her thoughts seemed louder than anything she had ever heard, drowning out her concentration. More than once, she lost her place and had to go back. When the time for the test ran out, she had only done two-thirds of the problems.

“Erika, are you all right?” Tam asked in the hallway. “You seem…distracted. Worried, even.”

Erika managed a smile for her friend, pushing back her braided hair. “I’m fine,” she answered. “Just a little tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

That, at least, was true. She’d spent the week since she’d talked to Mal freezing her bed colder and colder, hoping it would help her sleep, and hoping that Mollie wouldn’t notice.

Tam cocked her head, watching Erika with searching eyes. “I’ll call my mom,” she said finally. “She studies all kinds of plants. She can probably find something to help you sleep.”

“Just as long as it’s not a hot tea or something like that,” Erika said. “Heat does bad things to me.” _Oh, great. I reminded myself of the Isle again._

Tam nodded. “I’ll make sure to tell her that.” She pulled her phone out of her bag and tapped the screen. “Hi, Mom! You busy?” She waved to Erika as she set off to her next class.

Erika daydreamed through her next two classes, barely able to focus on her work. Fairy Godmother was the only teacher who noticed, but she didn’t say anything, merely casting concerned glances at Erika every so often.

Life Skills Without Magic, as usual, was awful. The day’s lecture just _had_ to be on “The Dangers Of Uncontrolled Magic.” Erika fought the urge to simply drop her head down on her desk and sleep right through it. She dutifully took notes, writing down the homework assignment for that day: “Choose one individual who used magic uncontrollably. Write an essay to explain why you think they did it!” Fairy Godmother said with way too much enthusiasm. “I’ll have some of you present your work to the class in three days.”

Erika sighed as she gathered up her things at the end of class, thinking about the assignment. _If someone chooses Mama, I’m going to scream. Or explode. Or-_

_No._ Erika fought the thoughts back. _I can’t do that. No strong emotions, remember?_

“Hey, Erika.”

Erika jumped, dropping her books. “Lonnie!” she gasped. “You scared me! I didn’t notice you behind me.”

“The way you were staring off into space, I don’t think you would have noticed a Hun attack,” Lonnie observed. She leaned against an empty desk. “What’s on your mind?”

“It’s just…I’m just having some trouble with school,” Erika answered carefully, bending down to pick up her scattered books. “And I’m a little homesick again.” She frowned. “What’s a Hun?”

Lonnie nodded, gesturing to the window. “It’s getting colder,” she said. “That’s probably reminding you of Arendelle. A Hun is…well, they couldn’t beat my mom, that’s for sure.” She gave a loving pat to the katana hanging at her hip.

“Fencing practice?” Erika asked, taking in Lonnie’s blue-and-yellow uniform.

Lonnie grinned. “In thirty minutes. I finally got the school’s permission to use this-“ she touched her katana- “instead of a regular fencing sword. Should give the boys a little extra challenge. Can’t wait to see Chad’s face.”

“Is he still being a jerk about you leading the team?” Erika questioned. She’d heard the whole story.

Lonnie laughed. “If he is, it’s not to my face,” she replied. “He knows if he did that in front of me, I’d make him miserable. And Jay and a couple of the others would probably do the same thing. You should have seen it that day he insulted your mom. I ran that boy ragged.”

Erika smiled, but she winced inwardly. Whenever someone mentioned events like that, it tended to make her angry about Auradon’s view of Elsa. _No anger. That’s the last thing I need right now._

Lonnie tilted her head and gave Erika a curious glance. “Is something wrong?”

_Is it that obvious?_ Erika kept the smile up. “No, everything’s okay. Just a little school stress.”

“Seriously, Erika, it’s fine,” Lonnie said. “Whatever’s bothering you, you can talk to me or any of the other girls about it. We won’t judge you.”

_Some of you already have._

Erika shifted her books, trying to keep the smile on her face. “It’s all right,” she replied. “I’ll be okay.”

Lonnie didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she pressed. “You look kind of tired. And you’re doing that thing you do when you’re hiding something.”

“What thing?”

“You’re rubbing your jacket sleeves,” Lonnie pointed out. “You do that when something’s bothering you and you’re trying to pretend that everything’s fine.”

_How did she even notice that?_

“Everything is fine, Lonnie, I promise,” Erika answered. “Nothing’s wrong with me.”

“Really, Erika, you can talk to me. You don’t have to hide anything. What is it?” Lonnie had a concerned look in her eyes- it reminded Erika of her mother. A sharp stab of pain ran through her as she remembered the villain portrait in that textbook. There had been no concern in that Elsa’s eyes.

Lonnie was still talking. “-even if you don’t want to talk to me, I’m sure one of the other girls can help. It’s not good for you to hide what you’re feeling.” _But I have to._ “Maybe talk to Ben. He’s helped a lot of students in the past. He can probably-“

“I said I’m fine!” Erika shouted. “Why can’t you leave me alone?”

Lonnie froze, staring at Erika with shock. Erika stepped back, her books tumbling to the floor. Her chest heaved, and there was a strange sound in her ears- a crackling, groaning…

That wasn’t in her ears.

_Oh, no. Please, no._

She stared down at her feet. Several spikes of ice had sprouted from the ground, pointing threateningly towards Lonnie. The ice was deep pink, just a shade or two from red.

Lonnie had her hand wrapped around the hilt of her sword.

Erika’s hand flew to her mouth. She reached out and dissipated the ice, calling the pink specks back to her. Lonnie still had her gaze fixed on her, shock and fear in her face. Erika couldn’t stand it.

Ignoring her books, she turned and fled.

* * *

Erika raced through the hallways, painfully aware of the ice trail she was leaving. It felt like every student she passed was staring accusingly at her, looking at the frost coating her face. She pulled the hood of her jacket up to hide the ice, not wanting anyone to see.

She didn’t even slow down until she reached the dorm. Thankfully, Mollie had archery practice that day. Erika burst through the door, turned around, and locked it, slumping to the floor.

She buried her face in her knees, her heart pounding. _Why? Why did that have to happen? I was trying! I was trying so hard to stay focused!_

A sob tore loose from her throat. _Fairy Godmother was right. She’s been right all along. I’m out of control. I’m just like those people in class- the ones who didn’t control their magic._

She stared down at her hands, watching them fluctuate from red to purple to yellow. _Anger, sadness, fear. What’s happening to me?_

Erika got up and walked over to the dresser, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked so…strange. Her eyes were shadowed and haunted, dark circles stained beneath them making the blue look pale. Her ice-coated hair seemed to glow brighter white than she’d ever seen, and for the first time, she hated it. She hadn’t slept well in a week, and she definitely looked like it. The ice on her hands was ugly and cruel, too many colors at once. Her jacket had too much frost on it.

_How could I ever think I belonged here? Auradon is no place for me. Not as long as I look like this._

Erika felt tears sliding down her face, freezing on her cheeks. She looked into the mirror, sighing as she saw the red and purple and yellow on her face. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to get it _off._ She scraped the tears off her skin, letting them fall to the ground.

She whirled, staring at her bed, with its hideous coating of thick ice. She waved her hand over it, dissolving it into millions of specks. But this time, instead of calling it back to her, she let it fall to the floor, where it would soon melt. She wanted no trace of it left.

She turned her attention to her hair next. Since her first day in Auradon, her hair had been covered in a coat of ice. She pushed her hood back and quickly shook out her braid, letting the near-white strands fall loose around her shoulders. She sighed, starting to pull off the ice. Since it had been there so long, it was stubborn. She had to concentrate, and since her thoughts were so stormy, that was a struggle in and of itself. She frowned, closing her eyes and willing the ice to come off of her hair. It was a fight, but eventually, she won. Her hair dangled straight and light without its cover of frost.

Erika looked back at her reflection. She looked more…normal. More like an Auradon girl. Except…

Erika closed her eyes again and tipped her head back. This would be the worst part- removing the coating of ice from her body. She braced herself for the sudden rush of heat that was sure to come, and mentally pulled the ice from her skin.

It wouldn’t budge. It clung to her like a living thing, refusing to come off. Erika focused with everything she had, but the ice would not move.

Erika gritted her teeth and set her feet. She forced the thoughts to leave her mind and concentrated on the ice. Slowly, slowly, she felt it begin to move. But, strangely, it hurt, like she was peeling off a layer of herself.

_Maybe I am._

She clenched her fists and savagely tugged at the frost sheet. She cried out as it tore loose and crumpled into millions of snowflakes, collapsing limply to the ground like falling leaves.

Erika sagged against the bed, gasping for breath, pressing her hands to her throbbing chest. She was suddenly so tired that she didn’t think she could even stand. The heat overwhelmed her, but she fought it back, determined to keep herself free of the ice. She couldn’t get rid of what was in her blood, but she could remove what was on her skin.

She grabbed the bedpost and pulled herself up, clinging to the wood for support as she staggered over to the mirror. She stared into its silvery surface.

She still looked tired, but she didn’t look different anymore. She looked like she belonged in Auradon now.

_If Erika of Auradon is who I have to be to keep my mother safe, then I’ll be her. Goodbye, Erika of Arendelle._

Erika collapsed onto the bed, now free of its icy coating, and fell asleep.

And this time, there were no nightmares.

 

 

 

Multiplikasjon- multiplication

To- two

Null- zero

En- one

Tre- three

Tjuesju- twenty-seven

To tusen ogg tretten- two thousand thirteen

Femtifire tusen, tre hundre femti en- fifty-four thousand, three hundred fifty one

 


	16. Winter’s Vow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika faces the fallout of her choice to stop using magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, this was supposed to be posted yesterday, but guess who forgot again? Yep, me. So I wrote my butt off this morning and got the chapter done in record time. Here you go! Also, warning: there is a bit of blood in the beginning. Sorry.  
> Second warning that isn’t really a warning: this chapter marks the first of the last ten! It’s the final countdown, guys!

_“Erika!”_

Erika jerked awake, sitting up and looking around. Mollie stood in front of her bed, her mouth open. “What is it?” Erika asked, brushing her tangled hair back. _It tangles so easily without ice._

 _“_ What the heck happened?” Mollie gasped. “Are ya okay? Did something attack you?”

“Mollie, what are you talking about?” Erika frowned. “Of course nothing attacked me.” _You were the one who attacked,_ her mind reminded her, and she pushed the thoughts back along with the ice creeping into her veins, pushing it all away and imprisoning it deep in her chest.

“Look at yer jacket, Erika,” Mollie said. “Ye’re bleedin’. It’s on yer bed, too. And yer pants.”

“What?” Erika stared at her sleeves. _The ice must have been frozen on tighter than I thought. Maybe that’s why it hurt so much._

Mollie dropped her bow and quiver and dashed into the bathroom, coming back with a roll of bandages. “Push up yer sleeve,” she ordered. Erika complied, wincing at the streaks of red that ran all the way down her arm. Mollie started wrapping her arm.

“You’re good at that,” Erika commented.

Mollie smiled. “I’ve had practice. I scrape my arms up when I’m shootin’. I also fall outta trees a lot. And off cliffs. And down waterfalls. My uncles tease me about it. Then they usually annoy Mum with stories about the scrapes she used to get into.”

“Your uncles?” Erika asked, forcing down memories of her own uncle-in-law.

“I have three. Triplets. They’re crazy. Mum says they could get away with murder if they wanted.”

“You have an interesting family.”

“You should see me grandad,” Mollie said, beaming. “He has a wooden leg from a fight with a bear.”

“A bear?” Erika questioned.

“Demon bear, ta be more specific,” Mollie replied. She moved to Erika’s other arm. “So, what happened?”

“Well…” Erika stalled, racking her mind for a plausible excuse. “I may have slipped in the hallway and scraped myself up.”

Mollie looked skeptical. “Through yer jacket?”

“It’s not _that_ thick.”

Mollie still didn’t look convinced, but she dropped the subject. When she finished Erika’s other arm, Erika leaned forward and took the roll of bandages. “I can do my legs,” she said.

“Are ya sure?” Mollie frowned. “Yer arms are pretty banged up. I’m not sure ya should be puttin’ that much strain on ‘em just yet.”

“I’m sure,” Erika replied, smiling at her friend. “I’ll be fine. Thanks, Mollie.”

She bent down to bandage her legs. They weren’t as bad as her arms- which, just like Mollie had said, stung when she leaned down- but they were still bloody. Erika pushed the pain down into her chest and worked in silence.

When she was finished, she stood up, testing to see if she could walk with the bandages. To her surprise, the bandages felt better than when she had simply had bare skin. It provided another layer of protection against Auradon’s warmer air. It was like her ice, but without the magic. It felt good.

 

Mal’s voice floated into her head. _Good girl._

* * *

 

“The purpose of this experiment is to prove that, under the right circumstances…”

Erika stared down at her notebook as Mr. Deley droned on. As she took notes on the lecture, she watched her hands to make sure they didn’t stray to writing runes. So far, she had managed to stick to the Auradon language, but she was still thinking in her native one. As a result, she was behind on her lecture notes.

“Put your notebooks under your seats and make your way to the lab tables,” Mr. Deley directed. Erika sighed. She had only managed to take notes on two-thirds of the lecture.

“You’ll need three beakers, one filled with water, one filled with ethanol, and one filled with half of each, and a piece of paper.”

Erika hurried to comply with the directions, not even sure what they were doing with this experiment or why they were doing it. She had to stop a few times to focus on breathing, her rushing around heating up her body. Finally, though, she collected her materials and waited for further instructions.

“If you are all finished,” Mr. Deley said icily, glaring at her, “then tear your piece of paper in thirds, soak a section of paper in each substance, and light it over the burner. Record all results.”

Erika tore her sheet of paper and soaked each piece, her mind focusing only on keeping cool. She stopped short as she realized what the rest of the instructions had been. _Light it? On fire?_ She looked around, seeing a few students already at work. Sure enough, the paper was being held over small burners.

Erika felt her heart start to race, and tried to slow it down. _Maybe it won’t be so bad._

She found an available burner and started it up, stepping back immediately at the rush of heat. It was slight, but without her shield of ice, it hit her like a blow. She sighed. _I can’t do this._

“Young lady, is there a problem?”

Erika turned quickly, finding Mr. Deley standing behind her, his usual disapproving look even more intense than usual. _Just my luck._

“Um…I…I can’t use the burner,” she said.

Mr. Deley’s frown deepened. He waved a hand at the burner on the table. “It looks like it’s working fine to me.”

“That isn’t the problem, sir, it’s…I can’t go near heat.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Heat…bothers me,” Erika said, hoping he would understand.

He didn’t. “Well, incessant questions bother me, but you students insist on asking them.”

Erika sighed and opened her mouth to try to explain further.

At just the right moment, the door opened and Fairy Godmother breezed into the room. “Mr. Deley? Mr. Deley! Oh, there you are. I need to talk to-” She stopped when she saw what was going on. “Why, is there trouble?”

“I…I can’t use the burner,” Erika explained softly. “It’s too hot.”

 

“Well, of course, dear,” Fairy Godmother said, smiling. She turned to Mr. Deley. “This young woman is the one I was telling you about. Just let her watch the other students and record their results whenever you’re doing something with heat.” She turned back to Erika. “Oh. And, sweetheart, I need to see you after class.”

* * *

 

Erika’s heart pounded as she made her way through the hallways to Fairy Godmother’s office. _What could she want to talk to me about? Did…did Lonnie tell her about what happened?_ She sighed, feeling ice trying to push past her mental barriers as fear filled her chest. She missed the comforting sensation of it on her skin. Reluctantly, she pushed it away.

She found Fairy Godmother’s door and hesitantly knocked. “Come in, dear,” the familiar voice sounded from inside.

Erika pushed open the door, looking curiously around the room. It looked like a simple office, but the little decorations scattered around the room left no doubt as to who it belonged to. A pumpkin paperweight, a glass slipper painting, a small mouse statue…

“Erika, sweetheart!” Fairy Godmother greeted her. “Sit down, dear.” Erika sat down in the blue armchair Fairy Godmother indicated. She glanced at Fairy Godmother’s pen- shaped like her magic wand. The headmistress noticed her gaze and chuckled. “Everyone gets nostalgic. How did your science experiment turn out?”

“It was fine,” Erika said. “Evie let me watch hers.”

“Ah, Evie,” Fairy Godmother said, tapping her pen against her desk. “Beauty and brains.” She put the pen down. “Your roommate, Mollie, came to me yesterday very concerned. She informed me that she found you on your bed with your arms and legs pretty badly scraped. She said you were bleeding.” She regarded Erika with a serious gaze. “Is this true?”

Erika sighed and pushed up the sleeve of her shirt. “It is,” she admitted softly, showing Fairy Godmother the bandages.

“Bippity boppity!” the headmistress gasped, staring at the barely healed wounds. “What in the world happened to you?”

“I-I told Mollie I fell in the hallway,” Erika said. “But…that’s not really what happened.” She twisted a strand of her hair between her fingers. “I-I’ve been wearing an ice shield since I came here, to protect myself from the heat. It makes- made- me look different, especially on my face. When my emotions got too out of hand, it would change color to match. I didn’t look like anyone else here. I…there was an incident, with my powers, and Lonnie saw it. I hated the way she looked at me. I-I went back to my dorm, and…I took the ice shield off. All of it. It was frozen on a bit tighter than I thought it was. That’s why I was bleeding.” She stared down at her hands. “I didn’t want to tell Mollie.”

“Well, I understand that,” Fairy Godmother said. “The consequences of magic are often hard to talk about.” She frowned. “The last time you started bleeding, the blood froze on your skin. Why didn’t it do that this time?”

“I pushed all the ice back,” Erika whispered. “I told myself I wouldn’t use it again. That’s why the blood didn’t freeze, and why I couldn’t go near the burner. I can’t get rid of the cold in my blood, so I’m still heat-sensitive. But it’s not enough to freeze anything.”

Fairy Godmother nodded. “That would make sense.” She reached across the desk and took Erika’s hand. “I’m extremely proud of you, dear. Renouncing magic is often a very difficult thing to do. And for someone who’s used it completely without restraint all her life, like you…it’s exponentially hard.” She smiled. “But take it from me, the benefits far outweigh the costs.”

Erika nodded. “I’m beginning to see that.” She looked at Fairy Godmother’s hand. “I can touch people now, without having to focus on not hurting them. And I don’t look different anymore.”

 

“All true,” Fairy Godmother said. “And the most important thing is that you’ve learned to control it. It may have been an incident that set you on this path, but I believe that you really are on the right one. Now that you’ve promised not to use your powers, I think you’ll see your life take a turn for the better. Magic has no place in this world anymore. The more people that realize that, the better.” She smiled at Erika. “Your mother would be so proud.”

Erika was reeling as she walked back to her rooms. Fairy Godmother’s words wouldn’t leave her head. _Your mother would be so proud. Now that you’ve promised…_

 _Promise._ Erika turned her doorknob and slipped into the room. Mollie was gone again, but there was a note on Erika’s pillow. She picked it up, frowning as she tried to decipher Mollie’s messy handwriting. _Gone to Princess Club meeting. Thought ya would want some alone time._

Erika sighed. She did want to be by herself. Actually, she didn’t want to be by herself, but the one person she wanted by her side was miles away. “Oh, Mama,” she whispered, “how could I have forgotten? How could I have rejected my powers like this? What have I done?”

For the second time in two days, she fell onto her bed, letting the tears flow freely. _This doesn’t feel right._ In Auradon, tears froze against her ice-coated skin. She hated how they felt now, wet and too warm against her face.

Her own words danced teasingly around her mind. _I promise, Mama. No Auradon rules for me. I won’t forget my promise._ “That’s exactly what I did!” she cried. “I forgot! I forgot!”

She sobbed into her pillow, guilt and sadness and fear and even anger all churning in her stomach, fighting for her mind. “I’m sorry, Mama,” she wept. “I’m sorry. I had to. You didn’t see the way they looked at me.”

And then a thought struck her.

Once upon a time, Elsa had been looked at like that, too. She had been called a monster, a freak. She had retreated into the mountains the way Erika had sealed herself into her own mind. But instead of completely imprisoning her powers, Elsa had used them, creating something beautiful from something that most considered dangerous.

_I’ve made so many promises, Mama. I can’t keep them all. So I’m choosing just one._

Erika sat up, pushing her hair back. She looked up and smiled as she saw her reflection.

Except this time, her reflection wasn’t in the mirror. Her face looked back at her from the glassy, white spike of ice she held in her hand.


	17. Winter’s Rebellion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika makes a choice, gains a friend, and faces consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Have Provided Distraction.
> 
> Also, this chapter was not intended to go the direction it went. It is written proof that I’ve been reading way too much fanfiction (when I should be writing it.)  
> This chapter means...nine left, guys.

Erika exhaled slowly, letting the ice spike collapse back into her hand. She stiffened her body, going rigid as paper-thin scales of ice sprang from her skin, folding over her arms and legs beneath her clothes, like armor. Erika shuddered and let out a relieved sigh as the cold feeling settled into her bones.

She reached for her hooded sweatshirt, clean and sparkling now, the bloodstains washed out. Shrugging it on, she lined the inside of the hood with tiny shards of ice. She dusted her hair with snow and pulled the hood over her head.

The ice plates were still sealing on her skin, and Erika pushed up her sleeve to watch. Carefully, she brushed her fingertips across the near-invisible layer of ice, smiling as frost trailed across it in delicate, flowery patterns. And she was just getting started.

Erika sat down on her bed, pulling her legs up, and closed her eyes. She opened all the walls she had built up in her mind, letting her emotions flood her heart and soul. She couldn’t help laughing as she opened her eyes to see frost carpeting the entire room, snow bursting from invisible storm clouds. The walls and floors glowed with a rainbow of colors. Erika breathed in and out, and the frost took hold of her current feelings, fading into blue, then to white, and, as she relaxed, turning transparent. _One thing left to do._

Erika squared her shoulders, closing her eyes and reaching deep into her heart. She took a deep breath, opening the floodgates and barricades she had been maintaining for so long. Erika threw her head back, her mouth opening in a loud cry as white light exploded around her.

This was not frost, or snow, or ice of any kind. This was a shockwave of pure, undiluted _magic,_ pouring from Erika’s heart like a waterfall, enveloping her in its chilling embrace and penetrating deep into her core. And, though they did not know what it was, there were those in Auradon who felt the surge. Mal looked up from a book, her eyes flaring green as she felt a rush of magic unlike any she had ever experienced. Fairy Godmother leapt from her desk with a startled cry, rushing to call the museum and make sure the wand was still guarded in its place. Far away, a girl’s head emerged from the salty sea, and wicked laughter rang across the waves as tentacles tangled together just beneath the water.

And, still farther away, across seas and mountains, a woman in a blue dress nodded her head and smiled, for she recognized that feeling of long-imprisoned magic suddenly set free. Long ago, she had felt it too.

_Can’t hold it back anymore..._

* * *

 

Erika opened her eyes and exhaled, looking around the room. The ice was gone, and the dorm room looked normal again. Only Erika was different. She touched her arm- it was bare of ice, as well, but she felt even better than she had before. She could feel snow swirling through her blood and bone, magic coming like sparks to her fingertips.

And she could _hear_ it. It was like hearing the voice of a long-lost friend, whispering in a language only she could understand. Her magic was alive, and free, and so was she. Even in Auradon’s heat, she knew she would never have to keep herself hidden in a cloak of ice again. This pure magic she possessed was cold and clear, and she knew it would protect her. It told her _\- promised_ her- that it would.

This magic felt like water in her veins, and she instinctively knew that the moment she used it, it would become ice and snow. But it was purer and clearer than anything she’d felt before, and she also knew that it was living. As she breathed, it breathed. It was like a second part of her, the part she had walled in with a fence of fear. It spoke to her, a quiet voice that was in her mind but also not quite confined to it. This part of her could not, would not be confined in any way. Not any more.

“What- what are you?” she whispered.

 _I am you. I am your_ magisk selv _, and you have released me. I am power, and strength, and danger, and I am love, and joy, and beauty, and I am sadness, and pain, and fear._

“Why have I never been able to hear you?”

_You once heard me, a long time ago. You were not afraid of me then. And then your mother told you her story, and you heard of her freezing her sister’s heart, and you became afraid. Even without knowing it, you realized that I was the one of the most dangerous parts of you. You did not want your mother’s story to become your own. So you sealed me away as your mother was once sealed away. You locked me up as she had been. You turned your heart into a prison, and every fearful thought of magic strengthened the bars further. Your promise to your mother, once you vowed to keep it, became the key that freed me._

“But I could still use my powers,” Erika said. “If I walled you up, how could I do that?”

She heard the magic laugh, and she felt it twist and turn through her limbs _. There are still so many things that you do not know. You were born of both ice and magic, Erika. They have fused together within you. You sealed the magic away, yes, but the ice remained. Do you remember when you showed the princesses your skill? How it exhausted you? Using your ice strained you because, without realizing it, you were reaching out for me, trying to find me. It will not do that now._

Erika frowned. “I am of ice and magic? Do I have an _is selv_ , too?”

The magic laughed again, swirling through her hands _. Look in the mirror._

Erika obeyed, looking at her reflection again. She frowned. “I look the same as I always have. Near-white hair, blue eyes, pale skin…”

 _Do you not understand yet? You are the_ is selv.  _I am the_ magisk selv _. Together, we are one._

“I- I am?” Erika stared at herself. “And my mother?”

_I cannot say. No magic works in exactly the same way. It is very possible that she is her is selv, and it is also possible that she is her magisk selv._

“Mal? Does Mal have a dragon self?”

_It does not work that way for fairies and wizards and such. Mal, and her mother before her, and Merlin, Fairy Godmother, Jane, the three good fairies- they cannot create magic. They can only manipulate the magic around them. Mal uses the magic around her to change herself into a dragon. You and your mother are not like that. You can create magic, all on your own. It is a power given only to a few. And of those few, there are only a few who can speak to their second selves, as you have learned to do._

“Why me? Why can I create magic when others can only use it?”

The magic curled around her legs like a cat. _Why not you?_

Erika smiled, but then a thought struck her. “If I use my magic, will it hurt you?”

_It hurt me more when you refused to use me at all. I am meant to be used, to be channeled. I am part of you. It will not hurt me. My purpose is to protect you. At all costs. Even when I was imprisoned in your heart, it was so. If you were in danger, I would have been released to save your life. I did so when you fell. You were not able to freeze the blood yourself. Unconsciously, you allowed me to do it for you._

“Why were you so out of control?” Erika asked. “There were times when I didn’t mean to use my powers. Was that you?”

 _There were threats,_ the magic explained. _I see with your eyes, Erika. When your emotions spike, I am ready. Your fear, your anger- the emotion itself turns your ice and snow red and yellow. But the fact that you are feeling it- that is what triggers me to protect you._

“Will I always be able to talk to you?”

_You will. And you do not even have to speak aloud. Simply think, and you will hear me answer._

A knock sounded at the door, and Erika looked up. Her magic coiled at her fingertips.

“Erika, sweetheart?” It was Fairy Godmother. “I- dear, I have to talk to you.”

Erika thought to her magic. _Will she be able to sense you?_

 _Perhaps once she could,_ it answered. _But that is the consequence of giving up her magic wand._ It settled in her chest, a comforting feeling wrapped around her heart. _Do not be afraid. I will be ready._

Erika stood up and opened the door. Fairy Godmother stood in the doorway, looking extremely upset. And even a little afraid.

“Erika, I’m terribly sorry to barge in like this, but we’ve…we’ve had a magical disturbance. Mal is afraid it might be Uma, but to me…it seemed more localized.” She took a deep breath. “Did you…do something with your magic?”

_What should I do? Should I lie to her? Or pretend that it was an accident? Or should I tell her the truth?_

_I cannot make decisions for you,_ her magic self answered. _But whatever you decide, I will be with you._

Erika took a deep breath and threw up her head, blue eyes staring straight into Fairy Godmother’s face. “Yes,” she answered. “I did.”

Fairy Godmother actually looked angry. She pulled out the chair from Mollie’s desk and sat down. “I thought we made this clear, Erika. You were doing so well!”

“No, I wasn’t,” Erika said. “I was having nightmares, stressing myself out, always worried about my powers going out of control. I wasn’t doing well.”

“Erika, I can’t allow this to continue,” Fairy Godmother said sternly.

Erika clenched her fists, feeling the magic in her fingers. “You don’t have a choice in this. This was my choice, and I made it.”

“You made me a promise on your first day here.”

“I made my mother a promise before that. I will not hide who I am. If that proves dangerous, do what you feel you need to. But I have had enough of trying to push back my true self. From now on, I will use my magic the way I do in Arendelle. The way Mama does.”

“I will not allow that!”

“You don’t have to. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not.”

“Erika, don’t you understand what could happen?”

“Yes, I do. But I also understand what has happened. I’ve not been able to focus on anything but obeying the rules, being a good girl…if this is how it feels to step out of line, then I can’t imagine why I didn’t do it sooner.”

“Erika, this is unacceptable!” Fairy Godmother cried.

“No, you know what’s unacceptable?” Erika shot back. “Ever since I arrived here, I’ve been forced to change who I am! And I just can’t take it anymore! I am not perfect. And I am not going to try to be. From now on, I’m going to be exactly who I want to be.” Erika stood up and crossed to the door, holding it open. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like some time to myself until Mollie gets back.”

Fairy Godmother sighed. “I-I’m going to have to inform King Ben and Beast about this, Erika. I wish it hadn’t come to this.”

“Do what you have to do,” Erika told her. “It won’t stop me from doing what I need to do.”

Her magic tangled over her shoulders, lifting away her fear. _We will do what we must._

 _Yes,_ Erika thought back. _We will._

 

 

magisk selv- magic self

is selv- ice self

 

 


	18. Winter’s Reckoning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika faces off against Mal again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I’m back! Oh, boy, we’re getting close now! Seven chapters left after this...it’s really getting down to the wire. I don’t really have much to say about this one, other than I was definitely, totally, probably, absolutely not influenced by the new Maleficent movie. Not in any way.

Erika tapped her pencil against her paper as Fairy Godmother continued speaking. _History of Woodsmen and Pirates_ was one of her less interesting classes. She sighed, her mind going back to the stories that she had grown up hearing- _Onkel_ Kristoff’s strange troll tales, _Tante_ Anna’s wild and largely exaggerated accounts of Viking heroes, and Mama’s beautiful, ancient myths and legends. She wished she could hear them again.

She looked up as Fairy Godmother moved to the board and wrote down a few lines of the lecture. Erika quickly copied them down, her hand flying. She checked her work and smiled. The right side of the paper had notes written in Erika’s slightly shaky Auradon script. The left side had the same thing, only written in sharp, clear runes. Erika brushed her fingers over it, watching a thin carpet of frost spread across the page. She twitched her fingers and made it disappear.

 _Magisk?_ she thought, and it bubbled to life, coiling in her chest and then down her arms, twining around her ankles like a cat. She sighed, her entire body relaxing at the soothing feeling.

_I am here, Erika. You are writing in runes again._

Erika traced her hand over the left side of her page. _They’re beautiful, aren’t they? I almost forgot how pretty they looked._

The magic swirled up her arms. _You could never forget. No matter how long you stayed in Auradon, you couldn’t forget your home. And besides-_ she felt it curl around her shoulders- _now, you have me to remind you._

Erika smiled and turned her attention back to the lecture, looking up to find Fairy Godmother staring at her, lips pursed. Erika locked eyes with her, unblinking, until she turned away.

_She disapproves of me._

_Let her,_ Erika answered. _I don’t care what she says. This is who I am. If they can’t accept that, let them judge me._

The magic wrapped up her neck. _You are brave, Erika, but I know your true thoughts. You are torn between two kingdoms. You claim you don’t care what they say, yet you are afraid of what they think of you._

Erika sighed, staring at the Auradon writing. _I know. I want to not care, but…ever since I saw that portrait-_ she frowned. _Do you know about that? Since you were still sealed up then?_

 _I may have been locked in your heart, but I was still with you. I saw. That is not your mother’s true face._ It filled her fingers, pressing against her fingertips. _You want to prove to them that you are not like that._

Erika allowed a smile to form on her lips. _I can’t slip anything past you, can I?_

She wasn’t sure she heard the magic laugh, but somehow she knew it had. _Of course not. I am you._

 _It felt strange, seeing her like that,_ Erika confessed. _She looked so cruel. It was like…she looked like someone I wouldn’t want as my mother, and yet I knew she was._

_I understand._

Erika straightened in her chair as the bell rang. _I know you do._

She gathered her things and headed for the hallway, almost crashing into Mollie. The redhead grinned at her. “Hey, Erika!”

“Hi, Mollie,” Erika replied.

“Where ya headed?” Mollie asked.

Erika sighed. “Safety Rules for the Internet,” she answered. “I hate that class so much. The Internet just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“It definitely helps me,” Mollie said. “Homework goes so much quicker. We have computers in Dunbroch, but they don’t work so great. Mostly because Mum uses ‘em fer target practice when she gets frustrated.”

Erika arched her eyebrows. “Does that happen often?”

Mollie nodded. “Mum has quite a temper. Got it from me grandad.”

“Are you in Safety Rules for the Internet, too?” Erika questioned.

Mollie shook her head, her red curls bouncing. “I have Grammar.” She stuck out her tongue at the mention. “I always get mixed up in that class. We say things so differently in Dunbroch.”

“You’re telling me,” Erika said, thinking of the runes and her own language compared to Auradon’s. “I had Grammar earlier this morning.”

“Well, I have it now,” Mollie responded, checking her phone. She gasped. “And I’m late! I’ll meet you outside Internet Safety or whatever the blasted thing’s called when you’re done!”

Without waiting for Erika to answer, she took off down the hallway. Erika laughed. “Poor Mollie.” Her magic settled on her shoulder, and she heard its voice in her head. _She is a friend. She can be trusted._

Erika smiled, watching as Mollie vanished in the distance. _I know._

* * *

 

Erika blew out her breath, her brow furrowing in concentration. _Why did we have to have a pop quiz today? Of all the…I don’t even remember learning this!_

She stared at her paper, glaring at the questions written on it. _I can’t even remember what some of this means. Magisk? A little help?_

 _I only know what you know,_ the magic answered, tangling itself through her arms and legs. _I am sorry._

_It’s fine. I guess it would be cheating, anyway. I doubt any of the other students have a second self inside their minds to talk to._

_I doubt any of the other students live in a kingdom where these kinds of devices aren’t present._

Erika laughed slightly. _Probably not._

She bent her head to the test again, frowning at the questions as she searched her mind for the answers. Eventually, she managed to work through it, her _magisk_ whispering encouragement to her all the way.

 _I don’t think I did too well,_ she thought when the class was over. _There were so many questions I just had to guess the answers to._

The magic settled around her upper arm. _Don’t worry, Erika. I’m sure you’ll do all right._ It suddenly surged to her hands, pushing against her fingertips.

 _What is it?_ Erika looked up to see Mal heading her way, elbowing a few students who weren’t fast enough aside. She sighed, preparing herself for a confrontation.

An obviously fake smile was stretched across Mal’s face, but there was no mistaking the flicker of green dancing in her eyes. “Erika,” she greeted through clenched teeth. “We need to talk. In private.”

Erika folded her arms. “No, Mal,” she answered. “Whatever you have to say to me can be said in front of everyone.” Her magic surged up in her chest. _I’m here. I will protect you._

Mal exhaled sharply, her hair rippling. “Fine. Have it your way.” She stalked closer, no longer bothering to keep a smile on her face. “Fairy Godmother had a little talk with Ben and I last night. Did you really think no one would notice that you’re using magic again? You’re not the only one who has that ability, Erika. Fairy Godmother and I both sensed it.” She glared at Erika’s arms, completely bare of ice. “I don’t know how you’re doing it- every book on magic that I’ve ever read says that you should be unconscious right now- but you’re using magic. Freely. No restraints. I will not allow what happened with Uma again. I intend to protect Auradon at all costs.”

“Are you threatening me?” Erika asked calmly. This time, it was no façade _. Magisk_ filled her blood, standing ready to defend her. She was not afraid.

Mal’s eyes narrowed. “I’m warning you. Shape up, Erika. Before something unpleasant happens.”

“And I’ll warn you, Mal,” Erika answered, still keeping her voice calm, almost cheerful. “I am not someone you can intimidate and bully into submission. I made a promise to my mother. I swore to her that I would use my magic the way I always had. And when someone threatens me-“ she opened her hand, allowing a tiny storm to form in her palm- “that magic gets a little unpredictable.” She closed her fist again. “You say you want to protect your beloved Auradon? I’d say the best way to do that is to leave me alone.”

“No!” Mal snapped. “The best- the _only_ way to protect Auradon- is to make it a kingdom where no one uses magic unless they absolutely have to. Magic is dangerous and uncontrollable. I know that now. Why do you think I donated my spell book to the museum? Why do you think Evie donated her magic mirror? Heroes don’t need to rely on magic. The sooner you learn that, the better.”

“Maybe your idea of heroes is wrong,” Erika shot back. “Maybe you’re still stuck in the pages of a fairytale, where the evil witch is defeated by the valiant warrior. That’s what you call Mama behind our backs, isn’t it? The ice witch? The one that got away? In your minds, she’s the only villain that managed to escape being sent to the Isle of the Lost. But let me tell you something. In the minds of me and my people, she’s the one heroine who never got the recognition she deserved. After all she suffered, her only recompense outside her own kingdom was lies and false accusations.”

She lifted her chin, making eye contact with the older girl. _I won’t stand down, Mal. This is me. You’re going to have to deal with it._

“We have a word for people who use magic without control,” Mal spat. “That word is _villain._ ”

“Funny,” Erika said. “Isn’t that what they used to say about you?”

Mal’s mouth dropped open for a split second before she recovered. “Key word there is _used,_ ” she answered. “As I recall, it’s not like that for some people I can name. There are those in Auradon that still bear the title of villain. Their names are written in the list of Wicked magic-wielders.”

Erika flinched. _She knows. She saw Mama’s-_ not _Mama’s- portrait._ “I don’t care what you think about my mother. I made a promise to her, and I intend to keep it. No matter what the price is. I will not conceal my magic.”

Mal smirked. “Careful, Erika. Wouldn’t want to follow in your mother’s footsteps, would you?”

Erika smiled at her. “Like you did with your mother’s? Crashing a party with evil intent? Trying to steal the magic wand? Or did you think I didn’t know about that?” She clenched her fist. “History class may have ignored our story, but they sure made a point to mention yours.”

Mal gasped and opened her mouth to protest, but Erika cut her off. “I’ve talked with people, Mal. I know that, on the Isle of the Lost, you were the biggest threat after Maleficent. Even the toughest, strongest villains cowered before you.” She straightened. “It’s not that easy here. You may be Ben’s girlfriend, but you can’t bluster and threaten your way through life, at least not in Auradon. Maybe you can boss around the other VKs, but I’m not one of them. You can’t bully me into obeying the rules, and you can’t force me to be your twisted image of a good girl. And you know the reason for that? Your main weapon is fear. You rely on your mother’s reputation as Mistress of All Evil, and you rely on your own power, to make sure that people are afraid of you. But the truth is? I’m not afraid of you, Mal. You may be able to turn yourself into a dragon, but Mama could destroy the world with a single touch.”

Mal grinned, showing her teeth in a ferocious and very dragon-like snarl. “But your mother isn’t here. And you’re not your mother.”

Erika smiled, triumph in her grasp. “Exactly.”

She turned on her heel and stalked away, leaving a crowd of shocked students in her wake. “This isn’t over, Erika!” Mal called after her. “You want to be left alone so bad? Fine. I’ll leave you alone. We all will.”

Erika never even turned her head to acknowledge the girl, resolute and determined. She could feel her magic humming in her feet, and she knew that frost was trailing after her like the train on her mother’s most formal gown. She knew that everyone could see it.

And she knew that she didn’t care.

 


	19. Winter’s Rejection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika finds out how Auradon will retaliate for her use of magic...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all!
> 
> Somehow, I wrote this in two hours. Yay me! That’ll never happen again.
> 
> Expect the next chapter late on Wednesday night. Six. Chapters. Left.

Erika separated her hair into three strands, quickly braiding it down her back. She pulled the finished braid over her shoulder and froze the end of it, flicking it back when she was done.

“Are ya almost ready?” Mollie moaned, watching her. “I don’t know why ya take so long every single morning.”

Erika laughed, gesturing to Mollie’s wild mane of curls. “Because I actually take the time to _brush_ my hair,” she teased. “Why are you so impatient today?”

“Fairy Godmother is making an announcement to the entire school in the cafeteria,” Mollie said, almost bouncing up and down. “No one knows what it’s about.”

Erika flinched, feeling _magisk_ bubble up in her chest. _What if it’s about me?_ she thought.

 _Do not be afraid, Erika,_ her magisk answered _. I_ _will be with you. Be strong._

Erika smiled. _I will._ She turned her attention back to Mollie. “What do you think this announcement will be?”

Mollie shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe classes are canceled for the day? No, the week! No, school’s over forever and we get to go home!”

Erika laughed at her friend’s ridiculous guesses, but the words touched a nerve. She wanted nothing more than to go home. _Home. Back to Arendelle, where no one cares whether I use my magic or not. Where I can be who I am without worrying about what people think of me._ Memories swirled in her mind like snow, and she found herself thinking about the family she had left behind. _Onkel_ Kristoff, the crazy, unpredictable one with a heart of gold. _Tante_ Anna, clumsy and encouraging and always ready for adventure. Olaf, silly and strange, but friendly and happy at the same time. And of course, her mother. Gentle and kind, strong and quiet. Blessed with the same powers Erika had been suppressing for so long.

 _Magisk_ coiled around her heart, and suddenly Erika was able to see her mother as clearly as if Elsa was there with her. She drank in her features like she never had, focusing on every single little detail- sharp, clear, turquoise eyes, filled with love and affection. Light blonde hair, dusted with frost so like Erika’s own. Pale, white hands, fair and free and…Erika gasped. She could _see_ the magic in her mother’s hands, glowing blue and circling through her veins. _Why can I see it?_ she asked her own magic. _Can I do that with everyone? Can I see Mal’s magic?_

She felt _magisk_ laugh. _No. You and your mother share the same kind of magic, although the two of you may feel and use it differently. That is why you are able to see hers. In a sense, she gave some of her magic to you._

Erika stared at her hands. _She gave some of her magic to me? Is she less powerful now? Because of me?_

 _Magisk_ laughed again. _Of course not. Your mother’s powers, like yours, stem from emotions. Love, joy, anger, fear…the stronger the emotions she shows, the more powerful she is._ It curled up Erika’s legs, sending a pleasant chill into her bones. _When you were born, the emotion she felt was so strong that it overflowed and poured into you. That is where your power comes from._

 _What emotion?_ Erika whispered.

 _Magisk_ swarmed around her heart again. _You should know the answer to that. It was love, Erika. Love is what gave you your gift._

“Erika?”

Erika snapped back to reality to find Mollie staring at her. “Yes?”

“Ya just zoned out on me,” Mollie said. “Come on, we gotta go!” Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed Erika’s arm and tugged her out into the hallway.

* * *

 

Fairy Godmother tapped the small microphone that had been set up, sending an echoing _thud_ through the cafeteria. Several students groaned and covered their ears.

“Hello? Is this on? Can you hear me?”

“We can hear you!” a few students shouted back.

“Oh. Oh, good. Well. Let’s get started then, shall we?” She cleared her throat. “I’ve gathered you all together here, today, because I have a very special announcement. Our school semester is getting closer to the end-“

Several students cheered loudly. Fairy Godmother cleared her throat again. “Not _that_ close,” she said pointedly. “And, as most of you know, in our last few weeks of school, we have a little something we like to call Family Day, where all of your families are allowed to visit and see what Auradon Prep is all about.” This time, she waited for the cheering to die down before continuing. “I wanted to let all of you know that we will be having Family Day in three weeks. Um, unfortunately, this doesn’t extend to our villain kids, as having your families here could be…catastrophic, but all of you will be allowed to video chat with your parents on that day. If you are so inclined.”

More cheering broke out, along with the general chaos that came with having too many teenagers crowded together in one place. Erika breathed a sigh of relief. _It wasn’t about me._

 _Of course not,_ her _magisk_ replied. _You think Auradon would tell everyone that you are powerful enough to defy them?_

Erika gasped. _You really think that’s why they’re keeping it secret?_

_What other reason do they have?_

Erika thought about it all through her classes. Auradon really didn’t have any reason to keep her choice to use magic hidden from the other students. The only possible explanation was that they really were so afraid of what she could do…

 _Not just me,_ she realized with a flash of clarity. _Is…that has to be why they think Mama is a villain! They’re afraid of her because somehow, she defied them! That’s why we use magic so freely in Arendelle! Because Mama broke their rules, and to punish her, they destroyed her reputation and made her seem like a villain!_

She almost laughed out loud in the middle of History of Auradon, only just managing to keep her face still. An overwhelming sense of relief shot through her. _They’re scared of us. That’s why we’re kept in the shadows. They know that if they shared the real story, they’d be caught in their lies._

 _Magisk_ surged inside her like the fjord in a high wind, throwing itself at her fingertips, begging her to release a storm. Erika kept it back, taking a strange joy in just knowing what she could do if she wanted to, what she was in control of, how powerful she was. _Power._ The word reverberated in her head. She was strong, and powerful, and she and her mother had managed to frighten the United Kingdoms so much that they had to pretend Arendelle didn’t exist.

She coated her pencil with ice, submitting to the urge to create a little pencil topper shaped like a snowflake. The cold, hard glaze shimmered blue, like a jewel, and she recognized the color of joy.

Fairy Godmother gave her a warning look, her message clear. _No magic_. Erika smiled back at her, like she had no idea what could be wrong, and touched her fingers to her paper, tracing over her notes in ice. The ink was soon coated in blue. Erika could barely hold back a laugh, enjoying her newfound mischievous side. She raised the pencil to her lips and blew her magic frost over it, freezing it for good. She tapped it against her arm, enjoying the feeling as cold rushed into her veins. The ice was almost as cold and hard as Fairy Godmother’s eyes.

Almost.

* * *

 

Erika knew something was wrong the second she stepped outside the History of Auradon classroom. The hallways, filled with chattering students on the way to lunch, went completely, deathly silent. Every single person turned to stare at her. She stared back, wondering what in the world they were looking at. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. “ _What?!”_ she demanded, _magisk_ throbbing in her hands.

Her voice seemed to break the spell, and the students turned back to their own conversations, although Erika still caught a few strange glances as she made her way to the cafeteria. _Magisk?_ she whispered. _Am I leaving an ice trail again?_

 _No,_ it replied. _You look perfectly normal. I don’t know why they are staring at you._

It got worse when she entered the cafeteria. It was like she was a ghost. No one would look at her. No one would speak to her.

No one, that is, until Mollie charged through the cafeteria doors, red-faced and sputtering. She stomped through the lunch line and plopped down beside Erika, slamming her tray down so hard the contents shook.

“What’s wrong?” Erika asked, unused to seeing her friend so angry. Mollie had a temper, sure, but she had never gotten _this_ angry.

“Fairy Godmother’s takin’ it too far,” Mollie spat. “I know the whole ‘magic is dangerous’ thing makes a bit o’ sense, but this is crossin’ a line that I never thought Auradon would cross!”

“What is it?” Erika asked, a sinking feeling in her chest.

“Fairy Godmother’s been talking to us all,” Mollie snapped. “She claims that you’re dangerous, and we should avoid you.” She adopted a falsetto, imitating the Headmistress. “It’s a matter of kingdom safety!’ Give me a break.”

Erika sighed. _Mama’s punishment for using her magic is being called a villain. I guess we know what mine is._

 _Magisk_ pushed against her fingers again. _Show them, Erika. Show them that, no matter what they do, you are not afraid._

_I want to. You don’t even know how much I want to. But…but I don’t want them to be afraid of me. Any more than they already are. I have to show them, somehow, that just because someone uses magic freely, it…it doesn’t mean they’re a monster. Everyone back in Arendelle learned that! They saw that Mama’s powers were beautiful, and strong, and…and they stopped thinking that she was a monster. Why can’t Auradon do the same thing?_

_Because Auradon is not interested in the truth. The reason they are so afraid of your mother is because she is, whether they like it or not, more powerful. They must pretend that magic is evil, and wicked, and wrong…or else they admit that they have no real power._

“It always comes down to power, doesn’t it?” Erika whispered.

“What?”

She jerked her head up, realizing that she’d spoken out loud. “Sorry. It was nothing.”

“You’re taking this awful well,” Mollie said. “I’m so angry I want to fight somethin’, and it doesn’t even affect me!”

Erika blew out her breath. “I guess I’m just used to being told I’m dangerous. It’s happened a lot since I came here. Auradon seems to think that all magic is evil unless it’s being used for their own purposes. I mean, no one calls Rapunzel a witch and a freak.”

“Ta be fair,” Mollie put in, “Rapunzel can’t really do anything with her hair now. All it does is protect her.”

“Mama’s powers- _my_ powers- protect us,” Erika argued.

 _Magisk_ came to life in her hands. _I do._

Erika settled it back down. _I know._ She focused back on what Mollie was saying.

“-called you a “threat to the safety of Auradon,” and then she had the nerve to say “and Dunbroch as well!” I mean, she used me own kingdom to try and get me to betray me best friend!”

Erika almost choked. “Best friend?” she asked.

“Well, obviously,” Mollie said. “We’re roommates! How could we not be best friends? I let ya shoot me bow. I don’t let just _anyone_ shoot me bow.” Her green eyes hardened. “Although, let me tell ya, there are some people I wouldn’t mind shootin’ with right now. They can be the target.”

Erika snorted at that. “I’d join you, but I got in trouble last time.”

“That tree wasn’t the only thing that needed a good blast o’ yer ice,” Mollie muttered.

Erika laughed again, but her thoughts were as tumultuous as a storm. _They’re going to ignore me, are they?_

A half smile shaped her face as she watched a layer of frost appear on the backs of her hands. _I guess we have to make ourselves impossible to ignore._

Her magic boiled just underneath her skin, coiled like a snake waiting to strike. _I guess we do._

 


	20. Winter’s Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika begins training herself again, and a Princess Club meeting ends in disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who’s excited for Frozen II?!
> 
> I’ve been listening to Panic! At the Disco’s cover of Into the Unknown nonstop. It’s soooo good! 
> 
> We have five chapters left, guys. Five! I’m writing like a madwoman.

Over the course of the next week, the tension cooled down somewhat. Most of the students stopped pretending that Erika was invisible, although there were a few that kept it up. A few even started talking to her again. (Erika got the feeling that Mollie had threatened them, and the satisfied look on her roommate’s face every time another student spoke to Erika pretty much confirmed it.)

The exceptions were, surprisingly, the teachers. They completely avoided Erika, besides grading her work. They didn’t call on her when she raised her hand to answer a question in class, and if she asked a question, they simply ignored it. Erika guessed it was due to Fairy Godmother’s influence, although she had no way of knowing for sure. If she was being honest with herself, she actually liked the fact that everyone pretty much left her alone. She had started practicing her magic in the courtyard outside, icing it and thawing it over and over again as _magisk_ whispered encouragement to her. She felt eyes on her as she did so, and she knew that she was being watched. Every use of magic was dangerous. But Erika didn’t care. _Magisk_ helped her remember her lessons with her mother, and she put the memories to good use. She knew she was simply making her reputation worse, and she knew she was making Fairy Godmother and probably Mal angrier. But she felt that the only way to show people that they were wrong about magic was to use it, and hone it, and do it in public where everyone could see. So she continued to do it every day after class, sculpting flowers between her palms and frosting the trees. It was like a dance, she realized. The flowing, gentle motions made curving, swirling designs, and the forceful movements were what conjured sharp, precise lines. She was learning more about herself every day.

She hadn’t noticed before that her emotions affected her ice in more ways than just color. The first time she practiced in full view of everyone, she had been terrified- of Mal, of Fairy Godmother, of the Isle. Her ice had been yellow, fluctuating between spikes and swirls as her thoughts shifted from her practice to her fears. It was like it didn’t know what it wanted to do. The next day, she had abandoned feeling afraid and had changed to anger about the teachers’ behavior. That day, she had slipped her shoes off and stomped on the ground, sending spikes of red ice crashing up. Anger made her magic dangerous, and she watched in fascination as the ice cracked beneath the force of her emotions. Most of her training was happy, though- blue and flowing like a river. She thought it was beautiful, the way the snow exploded from her fingertips to curl into sculptures and patterns. _Magisk_ , bubbling under her skin, thought so, too.

So, apparently, did a few students. Tam was the first, slipping up to her when no one was looking. “What you do after class,” she whispered. “It’s pretty. I didn’t know magic could be like that.” Mollie was more vocal about it, declaring to anyone, regardless of whether or not they were listening, that Erika had proven that magic wasn’t as dangerous or evil as they thought.

Fairy Godmother had something to say about _that_. “Even Mother Gothel was considered beautiful,” she announced in Life Skills Without Magic. “And she held Rapunzel captive for eighteen years and nearly killed Flynn Rider. Just because something looks harmless does not mean that it is.”

Erika’s practice after that class resulted in her frosting the hedges into patterns and then thawing them, with no harm done to the plants.

After school the next day, Erika took a deep breath, enjoying the cooler air of Auradon’s autumn. She let it out slowly, flicking her wrist. A pillar of snow formed above her palm, curling like a wave and then breaking into blue dust as she thawed it. She frowned. For the past few days, she had felt…something whenever she practiced her magic. Something that she knew was a part of her, but that lay out of reach just beyond the limits of her capabilities. _What is it?_ she asked _magisk_.

 _I do not know_ , it said. _Perhaps a skill that you have yet to learn?_

Erika thought about it, her mind running over the many different kinds of things her mother could do. There were the small things, the kind that amounted to no more than parlor tricks, and then there were the more impressive skills- such as the ice palace that crowned the North Mountain.

And then Erika thought of Olaf and Marshmallow- the snowmen that her mother had brought to life on the North Mountain.

 _What if that’s what I’m feeling?_ she wondered with a sudden rush of excitement. _What if I’m developing that power?_

 _It’s possible,_ her _magisk_ replied, flowing sluggishly through her veins. _Your mother has that gift, and she shared her magic with you. I don’t see why you shouldn’t have the same power._

“Erika!”

Erika jerked her head up at Mollie’s shout. The redhead was sprinting across the courtyard towards her as fast as she could. She skidded to a halt, and Erika could only think how glad she was that she hadn’t iced the courtyard. “Erika,” Mollie panted, hands on her knees. “Princess Club…meeting…Audrey’s room…five minutes.”

Erika sighed. A few members of the Princess Club were still extremely hostile to Erika’s free use of magic. “I-I don’t know, Mollie, I think I’d better stay here and practice.”

“Aw, come on!” Mollie protested. “I love the Princess Club meetings! And they’re so much fun with ya there! Remember when ya froze everyone’s hair?”

“Mm, and Mal accosted me in the hallway afterwards?” Erika said dryly. “You’re right. That was fun.”

“Oh, lighten up,” Mollie scoffed. “Mal ain’t a princess, so she’s not gonna be there anyway. Besides, Audrey said she had a surprise for all o’ us!”

Erika shook her head. “Surprises right now aren’t really a good thing for me,” she said. She blew out her breath. “Fine, Mollie. I’ll join you.”

“Yes!” Mollie jumped up and down. “Let’s get goin’, then! We don’t wanna be late, do we?”

“Actually, that’s preferable,” Erika muttered under her breath.

Mollie laughed. “Come on, it won’t be that bad.”

——————————————————————

Mollie pushed open the door to Audrey’s blindingly pink room. Erika sighed again. “I really don’t want to do this,” she hissed.

“It’ll be fine,” Mollie whispered back, leading the way into Audrey’s room.

“Oh, hello!” Audrey called out, perched on the edge of her bed. ‘We have the room to ourselves again today! And we have a new face!” She pointed towards the edge of the room, where a new girl sat, looking slightly nervous. “Meet Amethyst, Ariel’s daughter.”

Amethyst gave a shy wave, pushing back her crimson waves. “Amethyst, this is Mollie, princess of Dunbroch, and Erika, princess of Arendelle,” Audrey introduced them.

“Hey!” Mollie said brightly. “Pleased ta meetcha!”

“You, too,” Amethyst answered.

“So are ya a mermaid, then?” Mollie asked curiously.

“I can turn into one,” Amethyst answered. “Not here, though. I have to be in salt water.”

“Ahem,” Audrey said pointedly. “We have some important business today, as some of you know. Our Princess Club has gained quite a reputation around Auradon Prep. I’ve had students begging me to let them join, though of course we only accept those few with royal blood. However, in light of recent events, our reputation has become a little…how should I put this? Tarnished.” She tucked a tendril of brown hair behind her ear. “It seems that our little club has been rumored to associate with something dreadful, something…evil.”

Erika went very still. _Oh, no_.

Audrey looked around conspiratorially, as if making sure that no one who wasn’t supposed to be there had slipped in, and whispered, “Our innocent little club has gained a reputation for magic.”

Erika cringed, knowing exactly who had started that rumor. _Why can’t you just mind your own business, Mal?_ She felt _magisk_ running through her blood, like ice floating down a stream. _Oh, please, not right now. That’s the last thing I need. Just…stay back. Stay hidden._ The magic seemed to understand, withdrawing and pulling itself into a tangle around her heart. Erika breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with another incident like what had happened with Lonnie. She lifted her head and focused back on Audrey.

To her credit, Audrey never looked directly at Erika. But even so, every girl in the room knew exactly who she was referring to. Erika began to think that making her practice so open had been a mistake. She listened fearfully for what else Audrey had to say.

“Now, I’m sure we all know that none of us would ever dream of doing something so villainous,” Audrey purred. “But Fairy Godmother and certain others seem to think we are. They want to disband the club.”

Gasps ran around the room, and this time Erika caught a few accusing glares.

“However,” Audrey said. “I’ve spoken with Fairy Godmother. Technically, she can’t disband our little group. It’s not an official, school-sanctioned club, just us gathering in our free time. But, we princesses have to stay on Fairy Godmother’s good side. Can you imagine what would have happened if Cinderella had offended Fairy Godmother? Where would she be?” She reached under her pillow and pulled out a stack of cards. “So, as a sign of the Princess Club’s good faith, we’re all going to sign these.” She handed out a card to each girl. “They’re anti-magic pledges. I’m even going to talk to Fairy Godmother and see if we can get the whole school to sign them! But for now, every single member of the Princess Club is going to sign the pledge, and I’ll turn them in to Fairy Godmother. That way, everyone will know that the Princess Club has nothing to do with magic.”

Erika stared at her card, perfect and pink and pretty, with ugly words written in delicate, pale blue ink that sparkled just the tiniest bit. _I, the undersigned, a member of the Princess Club, do swear that I will neither use magic or have anything to do with magic or magic users whatsoever. This excludes those who must use magic for their survival, such as the Neverland fairies or the Atlantis mermaids. This, however, includes any and all kinds of witches, wizards, sorcerers, etc., etc. If I break this pledge, I am henceforth and forever banned from the Princess Club._ There was a line drawn underneath for her name.

Erika barely even heard Mollie’s outraged protests. She was too busy fighting to keep back her anger, knowing that nothing good would come of losing her temper and turning Audrey into an ice sculpture. _This…this has gone too far. I-I’m not signing a contract against magic! I swore to Mama that I’d use my magic freely! I know Auradon would make sure she knew I had signed this. How could I face her after that?_ She glared at the words on the card. _Some of this is just ridiculous! I do use my magic to survive here, although since I released magisk, it isn’t visible._

Something poked her, and she jerked her head up to see Tansy drop a pen into her lap.

“All right!” Audrey chirped. “Everyone ready to sign?”

Erika clenched her fists and stood up. “No,” she declared. “I’m not ready. And I never will be. I’m not signing this.” She threw the pen to the floor.

“Come on, Erika,” Tansy pleaded. “You knew when you came to Auradon that magic had been outlawed. You…you just can’t break the rules like this! Heroes don’t do that! We have a reputation to keep!”

“I don’t care about your reputation,” Erika snapped. “And I don’t care about Auradon’s rules. My mama broke all of them, and back in my kingdom, we call her a hero.”

“That’s back in Arendelle,” Audrey argued. “You’re in Auradon now.”

“I promised Mama that I wouldn’t hide my powers. Going to school in a different kingdom doesn’t change that. I’m sick and tired of concealing who I really am, betraying myself, hurting myself, just so Auradon can keep up their façade of perfection.” She ripped her card in half and flung it to the floor, stomping on it and glazing it with red ice, turning on her heel and walking to the door.

Audrey sighed, shaking her head. “Magic is a poison, Erika. And it’s clearly affected you.” She reached behind her and dug out another pink card, holding it out to her. “You can sign it now, and you can stay in the group. Or…” she took a breath and let it out slowly. “You can walk out that door. But if you do that, you won’t be a member of the Princess Club.”

Erika took hold of the doorknob and yanked the door open, not bothering to stop the small red spikes that coated it. “I don’t need to be a part of the Princess Club,” she said over her shoulder. “Someday, I’ll be Queen of Arendelle.” She stepped deliberately through the door and slammed it behind her.


	21. Winter’s Breaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets come to light, and the truth is exposed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four chapters left, guys. It’s all downhill from here.
> 
> I have my tickets for Frozen 2 already...going opening night!!

* * *

Erika scooped up her books, shifting them into a neat pile against her chest. She turned and gasped, almost dropping the stack. “Tam! I didn’t even hear you! How long have you been in the library?”

Tam laughed. “I’m pretty sneaky,” she acknowledged. She reached out and lifted some of the books from Erika’s hands. “Got quite a load here. What even are those?”

“Runes,” Erika answered, brushing her fingers across the myth book. “They’re our alphabet back in Arendelle.”

“Homesick again?”

Erika nodded. “I guess with Family Day coming up, I want a little taste of home.”

“Where should I put your little taste of home?” Tam asked.

Erika pointed to one of the tables in the back of the library. “I was planning to sit and read over there.”

“Nice spot,” Tam said, hefting the books and carrying them over to the table. Erika followed with the rest of them.

“To be honest, I’m a little homesick, too,” Tam told her, dropping into a chair. “I’m not used to such cold weather. The jungle’s always pretty warm.”

“This? This would be hot by Arendelle standards,” Erika said, gesturing out the window, where rain was pouring down. “It actually makes Auradon feel a little bit like home.”

“You know, some of the students are planning to live in Auradon when they’re older,” Tam said. “Would you ever do that? Leave Arendelle and live here?”

Erika shook her head. “I couldn’t,” she answered. “For one thing, I’d just miss Arendelle too much. And for another, I’m the heir to the throne. If something happened to Mama, I’d be crowned Queen- if I was old enough. Arendelle likes to stick to their traditions. And one of those customs is that the oldest child of the king or queen has to rule.”

“Does your aunt have kids?” Tam questioned. “If you wanted to, couldn’t you appoint one of them to rule Arendelle instead of you?”

“She has two sons- my cousins,” Erika answered. “Arvik and Klaus are both of royal blood, but _Tante_ Anna isn’t the queen. The only way she could be is if something happened to Mama while I’m still too young to rule. Then she and _Onkel_ Kristoff would be Queen Regent and King Consort until I turn twenty-one.”

“King Consort?” Tam frowned. “Wouldn’t it just be King?”

Erika shook her head again. “ _Onkel_ Kristoff is a commoner, so technically, he’s Prince Consort Kristoff instead of just Prince Kristoff. If _Tante_ Annawere named Queen Regent, he would become King Consort.”

“Royal lines are so confusing,” Tam muttered. “How do you remember all of that?”

“A lot of practice,” Erika answered. “As princess, I have to know a lot of different things. Proper royal titles is one of them.” She sighed. “I’m glad my official title is just ‘Crown Princess Erika of Arendelle.’ You should see how flustered _Onkel_ Kristoff gets at formal events. He hates being introduced as ‘Prince Consort Kristoff of Arendelle, Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer.’”

Tam’s mouth dropped open. “Is that his full title? That’s outrageous. I’m glad we don’t use titles in the jungle.” She blew out her breath, sending a ripple through her brown hair. “Well, I’m going to let you read your books…all twelve of them. Seriously, how do you read in _two_ languages?”

“I also write and speak those two languages,” Erika remarked. “Princess training really comes in handy sometimes, although the Auradon language is significantly harder.”

“I doubt I’d enjoy being a princess,” Tam said. “It sounds like a lot of work.” She stood up and left the library, giving Erika a wave as she went out.

Erika opened the myth book, scanning the table of contents until she found a story she wanted to read. She flipped to it and was soon lost in the tale, brushing her fingers over the faded runes as if she could feel the story through them.

Erika sighed happily as she finished. _I wonder if other kingdoms have a version of that story?_ she thought. She decided to check and wandered over to the shelves, scanning the books from each kingdom.

The library door slammed open. Erika gasped as a tall man in a dark blue suit stormed in, anger stiffening his body. The stranger was followed by someone Erika knew _very_ well- in fact, she’d talked to him in this same library. She frowned, making sure she was hidden behind the shelves. _If Ben is in here, then that man…that must be Beast._

Erika watched as Beast rounded on his son. “How could you let this happen?” he shouted, loud enough to make Erika wince. “This undermines everything this kingdom is built on!”

“I know, Dad,” Ben said. “I’m trying to fix it. It’s just going to take a little time.”

“Time’s not really something we have when dealing with this kind of thing!” Beast countered. “Auradon’s shaky enough with that sea witch running loose.”

“I don’t actually think Uma’s a witch, but that’s not the point. We don’t really have a way to handle this without damaging the kingdom.” Ben folded his arms. “Right now, that comes first. Before anything else, I need to think about the safety of Auradon, and what course of action is best for it.”

“You’re not dealing with a minor threat, son,” Beast said. “You’re dealing with the most dangerous force known to exist. First Mal, then Uma, now this girl…what’s her name again?”

Ben sighed. “Her name is Erika.”

Concealed behind the shelves, Erika froze, dread filling her heart and magic surging up to meet her fingers.

“Erika,” Beast mused, stroking his chin. “Who is she?”

“She’s Queen Elsa’s daughter,” Ben said. “She’s definitely inherited her mother’s curse. And, from what I heard from Mal, she’s determined to use it freely.”

“Has she been informed of the rules barring magic from Auradon?” Beast asked.

Ben nodded. “She has,” he answered. “Multiple times. I reminded her once, and apparently she didn’t listen.”

“Gets it from her mother,” Beast growled. “No regard for the rules.”

Erika stifled a gasp, clenching her fists, her palms prickling with the beginnings of sharp icicles. She crouched lower among the shelves, her heart throwing itself against her ribs with every beat. She peered out from over a row of books.

Ben was shaking his head. “Queen Elsa hasn’t done anything particularly wrong, Dad. Arendelle’s traditions are as old as their mountains.”

“Free use of _magic_ is not a tradition,” Beast snapped. “It’s a defiance, and some might call it an outright challenge to Auradon.”

“Ever heard of the rock trolls, Dad?” Ben questioned. “They’ve been using their own magic since before Arendelle was even founded.”

“Did these trolls ever set off an eternal winter?” Beast countered. “You know as well as I do how dangerous Elsa is. She’s the most powerful magic-wielder in the _world._ She could probably take on _Maleficent_ and win.”

“Especially now,” Ben said drily. “Lizards aren’t the most fearsome opponents.”

“My point is that, if this daughter of hers has inherited even a _quarter_ of her power, then she’s a threat to the safety of Auradon. Just like Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, Jafar, the Evil Queen…I could go on and on. They’re all threats. And so are Elsa and her daughter. The only difference that I can see-“ he crossed his arms. “-is that we’ve taken care of the rest of them.” _The Isle_ dangled, unspoken, in the air.

“There’s something you aren’t seeing,” Ben protested. “Erika was raised as one of us. A hero. She doesn’t have the mentality of a villain.”

“You can’t know that for sure, Ben,” Beast sighed. “Gaston was hailed as a hero, and he almost succeeded in killing me. Just because someone appears to be good doesn’t mean their heart isn’t evil.”

“But I don’t think Erika’s capable of it,” Ben argued. “I’ve been discussing this whole situation with Mal. She had some, er, choice words about Erika’s magic. But I asked her outright if she thought Erika would intentionally harm Auradon.”

“What did she say?”

“That the means was there, but no motive,” Ben answered. “She has the potential to do some serious damage, but Mal said that Erika was a good girl at first. She’s just…misled, is all.” He sighed. “Besides, you and I both know that _I_ can cause serious damage, too…if I get angry enough.”

Erika’s brow furrowed. _What is he talking about?_

“Do you think there could be outside influences?” Beast pressed.

“Undoubtedly,” Ben responded. He raised his hand and started counting off on his fingers. “Queen Elsa, obviously. She uses her magic completely freely, and she raised her daughter to do the same. Then there’s her roommate, Mollie, Merida’s daughter. Mollie’s a rebel- against rules, against the royal life…she doesn’t openly break the rules like Erika does, but she makes it clear that she disagrees with them. Erika had a hard time fitting in at first, and she might have latched on to Mollie and started imitating her behavior in order to be accepted…only she took it to the next level.”

Erika tilted her head to the side. _Do I do that?_ she wondered.

“Anyone else?”

“Well…” Ben hesitated. “To an extent, Mal.”

_Mal?!_

“She’s popular enough to rival Audrey,” Ben continued. “And you know she used magic pretty much without restraint when she first got here. Everyone’s heard the story, even those in such a faraway kingdom as Arendelle. Maybe Erika hadn’t heard about Mal’s rejection of magic and thought that she would fit in better if she was like her.” He sighed. “And then, of course, there’s the big one. It’s not only Elsa who’s accepting of magic. It’s that whole kingdom. They’ve welcomed Elsa’s magic with open arms, and they’ve extended that to Erika, as well. She was brought up among people who completely supported her powers. Now that she’s suddenly facing opposition-“ he rubbed a hand over his face. “She’s reacting the only way she knows how to- defensively.”

“That doesn’t excuse the magic,” Beast declared. “We’ve turned a blind eye to Arendelle’s rebellion for long enough. However, it seems someone may have already taken action.”

Ben frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Magic users from across the kingdom have been disappearing,” Beast said. “Jasmine and Aladdin reported Genie went missing last night. The strange thing is, they haven’t touched Arendelle. If someone is trying to rid the kingdom of magic wielders, it would make sense for them to remove the biggest threat first. But Elsa has reported no disturbance of any kind…not that she would, anyway. Arendelle has always given us the cold shoulder.”

“Can you blame them, Dad?” Ben asked. “You _did_ try to send their queen to the Isle.”

Erika pressed her hands to her mouth to muffle a scream. _No! No, this can’t be happening! Tell me they didn’t, tell me Ben’s wrong…please!_

“Elsa should have been grateful I sent her a written request,” Beast growled. “The other villains did not receive such a courtesy. It was the sensible solution! Why couldn’t she see that? I was trying to protect her own kingdom from her! Her sister was perfectly capable of reigning in her place. There was no reason for her to refuse.”

“You could have simply had Fairy Godmother do it,” Ben sighed. “It would have taken only a few seconds.”

Beast shook his head. “Elsa’s far too powerful for that. She would have sensed and maybe even been able to block it.” He let out a frustrated snarl. “Besides, we needed Arendelle’s loyalty to ensure that Elsa wouldn’t attack us for trying it.”

Ben cocked his head. “How _did_ you earn their loyalty? It certainly wasn’t by threatening to send Queen Elsa to the Isle.”

“People sometimes respond violently to fear,” Beast replied. “I received a full report from the ambassador…once the man calmed down, that is. Elsa was- is- afraid of the Isle, of losing her magic. I made a deal with her.” He brushed his fingers through his shaggy hair. “I promised not to send her to the Isle, and to allow Auradon to remain much the same as it always had- no technology, no interference from us…on two conditions.”

“What were they?” Ben asked. Erika pressed against the shelves, waiting breathlessly for Beast to answer.

“The first condition was the obvious one. Arendelle would join the United Kingdoms. She agreed, although she refused rather…vehemently when I asked her to have a flag made for the Wall of Kingdoms. The second…” he sighed. “The ambassador gave me a full report, like I said. He informed me that Elsa was, in fact, pregnant.”

Erika’s eyes widened.

“In return for her freedom and her magic, Elsa promised that, when her child was old enough, she would send it- well, her- to attend school in Auradon. I wanted to ensure that the next ruler of Arendelle would not have strictly her mother’s view of magic.”

Ben groaned. “So, Erika is pretty much a hostage? Come on, Dad! How did you think that would work out?”

“Apparently, it’s backfired,” Beast said harshly. “I didn’t expect that Erika would reject our banning of magic like her mother has.” He clenched a fist. “We need to speak to Fairy Godmother. It’s time we considered removing the threat altogether.”

\--------------------------------------

Erika stayed crouched by the shelves long after Beast and Ben had left. Her entire body shook like it never had before. _Magisk_ curled around her heart, but even it could not console her. Every inch of her body trembled with terror, and her face was coated in a layer of frozen tears.

 _They’re going to send us to the Isle. Mama and I are going to be sent to the Isle. Oh,_ vær så snill, ikke la det være sant.

She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, as another part of Beast and Ben’s conversation came back to her. _Magic users…disappearing?_

Erika felt sick. She was trapped here in Auradon, a hostage, as Ben had said. She could do nothing to warn her mother. But, between Beast’s decision to consider the Isle and the vanishing magic-wielders, she knew one thing for certain.

Arendelle was in grave danger.

And so was her mother.

 

 

 _vær så snill, ikke la det være sant-_ don’t let that be true


	22. Winter’s Kingdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika pushes her magic to its fullest extent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so last chapter was slightly angsty. And by that I mean it was an overload of angst and drama. So. This one is...yeah, it’s still a little angsty. But there’s a lotta cuteness going on as well. Consider this one the calm before the storm- a lot will happen in the next three chapters. The next one will be up on Sunday.

Erika stayed huddled by the library shelves long after Beast and Ben had left, her mind attempting to process everything that she had heard. _Magisk_ flowed around her and through her, trying to comfort and console her, but Erika didn’t even notice. She didn’t try to stop the tears that flowed down her face. Auradon was so different from what she had imagined it to be. Beast was not the benevolent, glorious king he pretended that he was. And Ben…

Erika still couldn’t figure Ben out. He seemed to only have Auradon’s best interests in mind, but was it just a front, like Beast? _And isn’t Arendelle a part of Auradon?_ Erika thought. _Why aren’t they thinking about what’s best for us?_

She let out a harsh laugh that turned into a sob as she remembered. _I guess being forced to join a kingdom in exchange for their queen’s life and freedom isn’t really being a part of them, is it?_ She rubbed her hand across her eyes, purple ice shards flaking off her tear-frosted face. _We’re- I’m just a trophy for them._ She closed her eyes on tears again as she remembered Ben’s description of her situation in Auradon. _Hostage is a pretty good word for it._

Erika finally pulled herself to her feet, going back to the table and her books. She ran her fingers over the runes, suddenly hating that they were here. Auradon didn’t deserve a single bit of Arendelle. _They shouldn’t have these books here. They shouldn’t have me here._ Her heart filled with gratitude for her mother, for keeping Arendelle as separate from Auradon as she could. _I’m glad our flag isn’t up on that wall._

She put the books back on the shelf, not bothering to put them back in any particular order. Her eyes were blurry with tears. _I have to find a way to warn Mama. Magic users are vanishing, Beast is thinking about sending us to the Isle of the Lost...Is there anyone on our side?_

She slipped out of the library, pulling her hood over her head to hide her frosty face. She practically fled back to the dormitory, staying in the shadows and ducking behind things whenever anyone passed. She knew she looked more suspicious than ever, but she didn’t care. She prayed with all her heart that Mollie was out. She didn’t want to face her talkative, enthusiastic roommate. _I just want to be alone._

When she pushed open the bedroom door, she let out a sigh of relief. Mollie was nowhere in sight. Erika sank down on her bed and put her head in her hands. Her body was still trembling uncontrollably, and she clenched her fists, trying to calm herself down.

 _I-I need to do something. I have to distract myself._ She looked around her room, trying to find something to do. She grabbed her math book and started working on her latest assignment.

A few minutes later, she slammed it shut with a groan. Translating the numbers and problems into her own language just reminded her of her helplessness. She had no way to warn her mother about the approaching danger. She was trapped, a hostage in Auradon, a thousand miles from her home.

Erika sighed, flopping onto her back and trying to think of a way to alert her mother. _I could ask Fairy Godmother to set up a video chat, but she would listen to it. And Beast and Ben are going to talk to her, anyway. She’d probably know what I was trying to do. A letter’s too slow, and they might check it. Who knows how Auradon works?_ She pressed her hand to her head to cool a sudden headache, frustration mounting. Just once, she wished that Arendelle had the technology that Auradon did. It would be so easy to just call her mother and explain…but there were no telephones in Arendelle.

Erika rolled over onto her stomach, speaking to _magisk_ through her thoughts again. _Any ideas?_

 _No,_ it replied. _I am sorry. But I don’t know how you can warn Elsa._

Erika sighed, searching her mind for a way. _I’m tired of unanswered questions._

Her brow furrowed as the beginnings of an idea began to sprout in her mind. _What if…what if I could signal her somehow? If I could somehow get ice to travel as far as Arendelle, then she would know something was wrong. But I can’t do anything crazy- Beast and Ben will be cracking down on magic for the next few days. I have to keep it secret again, unless I want to get Mama and I sent to the Isle._ She shuddered, knowing that the two of them couldn’t survive on the Isle for very long. It was a death sentence, even if Auradon didn’t know that.

She scowled. _I can’t get my ice to travel that far. If I permafrosted it, it would be too heavy to float, and if I didn’t permafrost it, then it would melt. I’d have to wrap the whole of Auradon in a snowstorm in order for it to have even a chance of being visible from Arendelle, and even then, the mountains might block it from view. There’s no way I can get any kind of ice to Arendelle._

She hated the feeling of helplessness that had invaded her mind. Knowing that she held a dangerous secret and was unable to warn her mother and everyone else in Arendelle? It terrified and angered her, all at once. The emotion was almost too much for her to handle. Magic crept just under her skin, and that strange feeling that had been haunting her had come back full force. She wondered again if it was some new form of her powers, one she hadn’t mastered yet.

_A new form of my powers…_

Erika gasped as she thought about the one skill she hadn’t learned, the one she hadn’t even tried beyond a few accidental incidents. Her mind flashed to her family back in Arendelle- her mother, _Tante_ Anna, _Onkel_ Kristoff, Sven, Arvik, Klaus…

And Olaf.

The one thing Erika hadn’t done was create a creature- a _living_ creature- from her ice.

And it was the one thing that could save her mother. Ice couldn’t reach Arendelle, but a living thing could.

If she could do it.

Erika shut her eyes. She had no idea how her mother had made Olaf. Aside from a few snowgies, she’d never even tried to make anything living out of her ice.

_I guess I just have to try. Magisk, help me._

_Magisk_ was more than willing, surging up to meet her fingers with a force like an avalanche. She let it out, concentrating on what she wanted to do. Slowly, an ice sculpture more detailed than anything she’d ever tried began to form on the floor. She put all her energy into crafting it, adding everything the creature would need to survive in, formed of snow and ice. She cocked her head slightly as she wondered how it would get to Arendelle. She smiled and pushed an extra burst of snow out of her hand.

About halfway through, Erika started to lose her breath. She would have fallen over if she had been standing up, but she forced herself to work through it, pushing more and more magic through her fingers and into the creature she was making. She formed details with her ice and snow that she would have thought impossible. It was the most beautiful and difficult thing that she had ever tried to create.

An hour later, she was still at it, several failed tries dissipated into specks of ice and added to the newest version. She was almost to the point of exhaustion, but she pushed more and more magic out of her fingers, trying and failing to sense a spark of some kind of life.

And then she did.

She wanted to open her eyes, to see what she had made, but she didn’t dare break her concentration. A smile broke free on her face as she twisted her fingers, streams of ice painting more details onto her creation. Finally, finally, she put the last bit of ice in place. The strange feeling exploded from her fingertips, wrapping her sculpture and enveloping it, giving it life.

Erika fell back, gasping, her head pounding with a savage headache. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, and her body trembled with exhaustion. She put her elbow underneath her and shoved herself to a half-sitting position. A tired grin filled her face.

A tiny polar bear, no bigger than a hummingbird, lay on the bed beside her. His fur was pale blue, fibers of ice almost microscopic giving it a soft feel. Erika had crafted a pair of shiny blue eyes for him, four short little legs, a sweet, tiny face…and a pair of delicate, crystalline white wings.

She laughed breathlessly, scooping him up and holding him close. “No one ever said I had to make something that was real,” she whispered. She breathed over the little bear, dusting him with permafrost.

The creature shook its head and sneezed. Erika pressed her hand to her mouth, staring at him. “You’re alive,” she whispered. “I did it. Mama, _magisk,_ I did it!”

The polar bear yawned and curled up in her palm. Erika let out another laugh. “No, don’t go to sleep,” she said gently, running her finger along his side. “I need you to help me. I need you to take a message to Arendelle. To Mama.”

She stood up, clutching the bedpost for support, and made her way over to the desk. She found a piece of paper and wrote a message in the smallest runes she could manage. She didn’t think she’d given the bear the ability to speak. She smiled. _But I do need to give him a name._

_Dear Mama,_

_It’s me. It’s Erika. I know things I wasn’t supposed to know. I know that they tried to send you to the Isle before I was born. I know that we were forced to join Auradon, and I know that you were forced to send me to this school. I overheard Beast and Ben talking about it._

_I also heard them say that we’re getting too dangerous. They’re thinking about sending us to the Isle. We have to be cautious with our magic until this all blows over. And another thing- magic-wielders all over Auradon are vanishing. Please, be careful._

_If you’re reading this, then you saw what I did. He isn’t Olaf, but he’s the only way I could warn you. Take care of him until I come back. I miss you, and I can’t wait to see you on Family Day. If you can come, considering Beast and Ben thinking about imprisoning us._

_I can’t wait to come home._

_Jeg elsker deg,_

_Erika_

She rolled up her note as tightly as she could, pulling a ribbon from her box of hair ornaments and tying it. She brought it over to the bed and held out her hand. The polar bear climbed onto it, sitting back on his haunches and staring at her.

Erika ran her finger over his soft fur. His whole body glimmered with bits of frost. He was the most beautiful thing she’d ever made. “You need a name,” she said softly. “How about…Sindri? It means ‘sparkling’. Do you like that?”

The polar bear bumped his head against her thumb. She laughed, slipping her fingers behind his neck and tying the ribbon around it. “Okay, then, Sindri,” she said, scooping him up in both hands. “Let’s see you fly.”

Erika gently tossed him up into the air a few inches. Sindri fell back into her hand, shaking his head. “It’s okay,” she told him. “Just try it again.” She threw him up again, keeping her hands cupped underneath to catch him. This time, his wings worked, and he darted in a circle around her head, nosing her hair. She laughed again as he came down to rest on her shoulder.

She carried him over to the window and raised it, looking out at the dusky sky. Already she didn’t want to let Sindri go, but it was the only way she could warn Elsa. She tugged loose a piece of _magisk_ and wrapped it around him. _Guide him,_ she thought. _Make sure he gets to Arendelle. Make sure he gets to Mama._

_I will._

She lifted Sindri up and let him nuzzle her hairline. “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered. “Mama’s going to keep you safe until I get back, okay? You’ll love her. She’s the nicest, kindest, warmest person ever.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead, put her hands out the window, and flung Sindri up into the night.

The little bear flapped outside the window for a moment, a confused look on his face. “Go,” Erika whispered. “Go, Sindri. Warn Mama.”

He almost seemed to nod, vanishing into the night in a little flash of blue.

Erika staggered over to the bed, collapsing onto it. She was asleep in just a moment.

Outside her window, something blue fluttered like a moth, then turned and disappeared again into the blackness.

Even asleep, she felt _magisk_ whisper, letting her know that he would be okay.

 _Jeg elsker deg_ \- I love you 


	23. Winter’s Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika makes a hard decision regarding her powers’ source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry in advance if this chapter feels a little disjointed, I was fighting off waves of nausea while writing it. After this, we have ONE more chapter and an epilogue, and then we are done with book one!

“Erika. Hey, Erika.”

Erika’s eyes flickered open to see Mollie standing over her, shaking her gently. “You okay? I couldn’t get ya ta wake up.”

Erika groaned and rolled over, pulling herself up. She looked around. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows. _I must have slept all night._

“I found ya passed out on yer bed,” Mollie said. “Ya didn’t even change into your pajamas.”

Erika looked down, realizing that Mollie was right. She still wore her blue hoodie and jeans from yesterday. She tried to stand up and gasped. The room whirled around her like the northeastern wind, and she frantically reached out for something to hold on to.

“Whoa, take it easy!” Mollie grabbed her arm and guided her back down. “I think you’re sick.”

“I-I think I’m going to pass out,” Erika breathed. “My head…it hurts.”

“You’re pale,” Mollie informed her. “Well, paler than usual. Ya should probably stay in bed today.”

Erika nodded, trying to focus on her roommate. She shook her head to clear her vision. Making Sindri had taken a lot more out of her than she had realized. “Can you tell Fairy Godmother that I won’t be in class today?”

Mollie nodded, shoving back her curls. “I’ll tell her, and your other teachers so they don’t get mad at ya for missin’ class. Do ya need anythin’?”

Erika shook her head. “I think I’ll be okay. I just need to rest.”

“Okay.” Mollie shrugged her shoulders into her plaid jacket and headed to the door. She paused and then came back. “Oh, I almost forgot. This was outside the door for ya when I got back last night. I tried to wake ya up to give it to ya, but ya were pretty sound asleep.” She handed Erika a folded piece of paper. “Not sure who it’s from.”

“I don’t know either,” Erika said, turning it over in her hand. When she looked up, Mollie was gone.

Erika frowned, wondering if her mother had answered her already. She unfolded the page and scanned it. The writing was in gold ink, delicate and pretty, but not too hard to read.

_Erika,_

_I’m sorry about what happened at the Princess Club a few days ago. You didn’t deserve to be treated like you were. I sort of know what it’s like to be an outcast, and I’m sorry. I don’t think Audrey will let us be friends, but I just want you to know that I don’t think you’re dangerous. You should be free to use your gift however you like._

_Be yourself,_

_Amethyst_

Erika refolded the paper, feeling tears prick her eyes. _And here I thought that all of Auradon thought I was a monster._

The word echoed in her mind. _Monster._ For some in Auradon, the word had replaced her mother’s title as queen. Ice witch, snow queen, sorceress…every label they gave Elsa traced back to _monster_. If you searched hard enough, you could see the underlying current of fear and hate that stained Elsa’s name and reputation.

 Erika was just starting to catch the whispers that floated around the school. The dark, forbidding stain that dripped from the letters of Elsa’s name had begun to bleed into her- especially after she started using her magic freely. The titles that had been reserved for villains had begun to be applied to Elsa and Erika as well.

It was strange, but Auradon seemed to blame Elsa for what Erika did. Her free use of magic, her battles fought with words against Mal and Fairy Godmother- the blame always shifted to Elsa sooner or later. It dragged Erika back down into that horrible feeling of helplessness. No matter how beautiful and benign her magic was, her mother was always endangered for it. She didn’t want to be responsible for Elsa being sent to the Isle- a fate which could kill her.

The answer pricked at her mind, but she refused to listen to it. She knew all too well that the only true way to keep her mother safe was to stop using her magic- but she would be breaking her promise if she did.

She shook her head, swinging her legs off the bed and stumbling over to the dresser. _No. Stop doubting yourself. You’ve already made your choice, remember? You’re going to keep your promise._

She frowned, unsure if she was hearing her thoughts or _magisk._ She decided it didn’t matter and started brushing her hair with shaky hands. She pressed an icicle to her forehead as she worked, enjoying the coolness of it as it seeped into her skin, calming her mind and soothing her pounding head.

By the time her hair was untangled, Erika felt much better. She wrapped her skin in ice, just to feel the chill, and slipped out into the hallway. She decided that she didn’t feel well enough to go to classes, and besides, she didn’t want to get anyone else sick if she was contagious. Instead, she went outside into the courtyard, finding a stone bench that was relatively shaded and sitting down.

Erika leaned her head back, staring up at the blue sky. Auradon’s sky was so much bigger and bluer than the sky in Arendelle. Arendelle’s sky was often gray and overcast, sometimes white with snow and always broken up with the mountain peaks. The sky here in Auradon looked so much higher, grander and more impressive, while in Arendelle, there were days that the clouds seemed close enough to touch.

Erika made a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. The sky was just like the kingdom it rested over. Auradon was big, grand, colorful, and extravagant. Its rulers, as Erika had learned, were cunning and conniving, ready to do anything to keep their own power safe. Yet Arendelle, despite being a ‘little hill country’, was more welcoming and friendly than Auradon had ever been, in spite of being ruled by a woman who could summon snowstorms between her fingers as easily as she could breathe.

Erika sighed in pleasure as a gust of wind whirled down the pathways, enveloping her body in its cold embrace. She thawed the ice from her body and stood up, letting the wind wrap around her like some ethereal fabric, chilling her to the bone and awakening the magic that lay stagnant just beneath her skin.

But Erika pushed it back. She didn’t want to use her magic in that moment. She wanted to feel natural cold, the kind that hadn’t been tainted with Auradon’s accusations of wickedness. She threw her head back, her hair whipping around her, the wind swirling over her. She listened to its haunting whisper through the few leaves left on the autumn-dyed trees. She almost felt that if she whispered back, it would answer her the way _magisk_ did.

“Can you hear me?” she said softly, her voice lost to the wind. There was no answer, but she kept talking. “If you can hear me, go to Arendelle. Make sure Sindri is safe. Make sure Mama is safe. Do what I can’t.” The wind stayed with her a moment, then died away. Erika sighed, sitting back down on her bench and drawing her legs into her chest.

She gasped and let out a moan as a sudden heat burst up in her stomach. Pressure filled her chest, and she fought to drag air into her lungs _. Magisk_ surged to life in alarm.

_What is it? What’s wrong?_

“I don’t know!” Erika gasped aloud. “Something in my chest…something hot in my stomach…I can’t…can’t breathe…” She doubled over and put her head between her knees. That, at least, eased her breathing a bit. She felt _magisk_ rushing through every part of her, checking for the cause of her sudden sickness.

Erika stayed still on the bench, focusing on bringing air into her body. It seemed to sear her lungs and then freeze them by turns. Strange, sickening cold swept through her, followed by waves of painful heat. She shut her eyes against tears that were too hot. Something was wrong. Cold had never brought her any discomfort like this before.

 _What…what is it?_ she asked.

 _An imbalance,_ her _magisk_ answered. _Learning the secrets of both Auradon and Arendelle all at once was too much for you. You are feeling too many different emotions at once…sadness over not being able to protect and help your mother, anger at Auradon keeping you hostage and threatening to send Elsa to the Isle of the Lost, pain at having to say goodbye to Sindri only minutes after creating him, joy over your free use of magic, fear of you and your mother being ripped from your home and sent to the Isle. It is too much for your mind and body to take. Your ice, the ice wrapped deep around your heart, it is fluctuating. It cannot decide which emotion is prevalent, and it is reacting by trying to be all emotions at once. You have hidden wants, hidden feelings, hidden senses…things that even I do not know, things you have carefully locked away inside your memory so you do not have to be afraid of them._

A tear forced its way out from Erika’s eye. She knew what _magisk_ was referring to. The darkest part of her heart was a prison, its cells filled with the worst thoughts and desires she had ever had. She pushed them down every time they tried to poison her mind, but she could not help still feeling the emotions that had given rise to them.

“What do I do?” she asked, too exhausted and afraid to trust her mind to speak for her.

 _Magisk_ curled comfortingly along her arm, but she could feel confusion running wild. _I am sorry. I do not know. My guess is that, somehow, you must separate your emotions, decide which one to feel and release the others. Each emotion affects you differently- anger makes you hot and turns your ice to red, fear makes you confused and colors your ice yellow, and sadness makes you tired and stains your ice purple. Joy is the only one that helps, and it is blue. When you are calm and under no stress, your ice is balanced- white. You have to choose one._

Erika sighed. How was she supposed to choose a single emotion when she had no idea how to feel about anything? She decided to sift through each one separately and decide which felt the most right.

She started with anger, since that seemed to be the most dangerous. It boiled up to the forefront of her mind, affecting even _magisk,_ urging Erika to take her vengeance. She let ice pool around her feet, deep pink and cracking with the weight of her rage. Anger was the emotion that made her feel the most unsteady, the most unstable. It made her feel like Auradon was right about her. It made her feel like a monster.

But it also made her feel powerful.

She pulled it loose from the tangle of emotions in her mind and kept it separate, moving on to fear. She hated feeling afraid. Fear confused her. What could a girl with her abilities have to be afraid of?

She had always hidden from the answer, but now she faced it head on. She was afraid of herself, of what she could do if she wanted to. She had had nightmares where Arendelle was drowned in snow that came from her own hand. She was afraid of what Auradon could do to, and she was afraid because they knew what she could do to them. The snow that dripped from her fingertips now was yellow, hideous and ugly, freezing the stones beneath the bench in a pattern that could not decide if it was sharp and dangerous or soft and flowing.

Erika removed fear from the mangled mass of emotions and fenced it in. She decided on sadness next, saving joy for last.

Sadness was the root of the other two. It was the one she had been feeling almost every day since arriving in Auradon. Sadness had been instilled in her since the beginning of the semester, Auradon’s pressure to be perfect weighing her down, shattering her piece by piece. Sadness was dark, empty purple, shapeless and wet.

She couldn’t take feeling just it for long. She set it aside and moved on to joy. This one felt better than the others, blue and gentle like water, but it also felt somewhat meaningless. She could paste a smile on her face and tell herself that she was happy, but it was a mask, a façade. Joy often could not be real without another emotion. There was a kind of joy in submitting to her anger, in releasing what she could do. Fear had an undercurrent of joy running through it, too. Whenever she grew too afraid of herself, it cheered her to remember that she was still in control. Being afraid of her powers meant that she knew when she had gone too far. Even sadness was tinged with joy. Letting herself cry, letting it all out- it strengthened the truth she knew in her heart. She was not pushing her emotions down. She was not hiding.

Erika sighed. She couldn’t choose just one emotion- they were a tangled web, and she could not unravel it. One meant another. Sadness, anger, fear, joy…they were connected, threads of the same string.

But there was something else.

Another strange feeling bubbled up in her heart. Another emotion, another secret. She did not yet know what it was, but it felt the coldest of all of them.

And it was her cold. This secret emotion that even she could not identify- it was as if it was an emotion formed from her snow and ice, all the magic that she had held back and all the cold she had forced back from her hands coming together to form this strange feeling. She tried to bring it to her mind, to see what it was, but it would not budge, clinging to her heart.

Erika stood up. _I know what I have to do,_ she told _magisk._ She slipped her feet out of her shoes, feeling ice spread outward from her toes. She walked back into the school hallway.

A few students who were late to their next class were there, hurrying to collect books and supplies. They paid no attention to her, aside from two or three curious glances.

Erika let out her breath, her mind telling her what she needed to do. _I can’t feel just one emotion, no matter what it does to me._ She stared down at the ice radiating out from her bare feet, flashing too quickly between colors, a rainbow of feelings and memories. _I have no other choice. Either I feel all of my emotions at once, or…or I feel none of them._

She squared her shoulders and planted her feet more solidly on the floor, feeling ice creep up her jacket. A single tear fell from her eye at the thought of what she was about to do. _I’m sorry. I’m sorry I have to do this. But you’ll understand, Mama. You’ll understand._

And then, Erika let it go.

 


	24. Winter’s Villain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika’s magic changes again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys...this is the last full chapter. The next one after this will be on Friday, and it’s the epilogue. After that...we’re done until Book Two! 
> 
> I have had this chapter written for almost six months, waiting to post it. This was always going to be an essential part of Erika’s story, and I am so excited to share it with you all. 
> 
> If you’re ready...scroll down.

Erika raised her arm and brought it down in a slashing motion. Ice exploded from her fingertips, a jagged mountain range of spikes crashing up from the floor. Erika didn’t wait for it to finish, whirling around and sending snow flying down the halls. _Magisk_ burst from her hands with a wild screech of triumph, swirling around her legs as an icy north wind.

The first scream rang out across the school, loud and terrified. Erika paid no attention, running forward and sealing the door to Fairy Godmother’s office with a barricade of ice. Something poured through her veins like blood, filling her with all the emotion she had been suppressing. She didn’t know what it was, but she enjoyed it. She stomped her foot, and the tiled hallways turned to slick ice. Erika’s heart pounded with adrenaline and anger. Her mind whirled with every injustice Auradon had done to her, and she wanted nothing more than to make them pay.

And nothing more was holding her back from doing so.

She moved her hands over each other, grinning as a small snow storm filled the space between her palms. She threw it up, watching in some kind of dangerous delight as it hit the ceiling and burst, mixing with the wind to create a blizzard, which she sent shrieking down the hallway. The school was filled with screams now. Students and teachers were realizing that something was very wrong. Erika was setting things right.

 _They called Mama a villain,_ Erika thought savagely, sending a spike of ice through the door of the History of Auradon classroom. _When they accuse someone of being a villain, sooner or later, they end up getting one._

She pounded her foot against the floor again, sending sheets of snow in waves down the hallways. Emotion poured out of her with every flake of snow- all of them, at once, combining to create an unstoppable storm, surrounding her and spiraling around her. Erika loved the rush of power she felt, knowing that no one could do anything to stop her. _Even a magic wand won’t help you now, Auradon._

A stream of students burst from the hallways, rushing past her, trying to get out of the school. Erika laughed as several of them, including Audrey, slipped on the sheet of ice that radiated from her. “Are you going to ignore me now?” she shouted. “Maybe you were right to think I was dangerous!” She locked eyes with Audrey and flung an icicle up at her feet. The princess screamed and jumped back, losing her footing on the ice and falling again.

Icicles dangled like daggers from the ceiling, frost covered the lockers, ice coated the hallways, and snow whirled around Erika. She clenched her fists as she remembered everything they had done for her.

_Freak._

Audrey’s voice rang in Erika’s head. She shot a stream of ice at the Chemistry classroom, watching as a spike pierced the door as if it was made of air.

_Witch._

Chad, this time. Erika flicked her fingers, and frost crept over the posters on the walls.

 _Dangerous._ Fairy Godmother, now, her gentle, sweet voice somehow even more hurtful than Chad’s cruel, mocking one. Erika pushed her arm out, and snow flooded the hallways.

 _Villain._ Ben. Talking about her. _He had no idea how true that would be. They wanted a monster. I will give them one._

Erika laughed, whirling around and sending threads of snowy wind down the hallway. She poured all the cold she had into the storm, freezing over the lockers and carpeting the ceiling with frost. The area was flooded with students desperate to escape her now, but she took no notice of them, drawing more and more magic from somewhere deep in her frozen bones, calling down a storm on the ones who had tried to put her mother in a cage.

She took no notice, that is, until one student skidded to a halt in front of her, his hands raised defensively as he tried to battle his way through her blizzard shield. Erika made it easy for him, dropping her hands, only a light wind tossing her hair up and down. She smiled at him. “Hello, Ben.”

“Erika-“ Ben spread his hands, gesturing to her destruction, a pained look in his eyes. “Why?”

“Why?” Erika’s smile dropped, replaced by anger. She clenched her fists, and another wave of snow blasted through the school, ice tinged red like frozen blood. “I’ll tell you why. You forgot to make sure you were alone in the library.”

Ben’s mouth dropped open. “You-you were there? You weren’t supposed to hear any of that, Erika!”

“Oh, I’ll bet I wasn’t,” Erika snarled. “I wasn’t supposed to know that your dad tried to send Mama to the Isle. I wasn’t supposed to know that Arendelle was forced to join Auradon. I wasn’t supposed to know that I was forced to go to this school in exchange for my mother’s freedom!”

Ben braced himself against the waves of red snow that flowed from Erika as she spoke. “Eavesdroppers seldom hear good of themselves,” he said.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping! I was in the library before your dad came storming in, and he scared me. I hid behind the bookshelves, and then you started talking about Mama. And I’m glad I did, or I wouldn’t have been able to warn Mama that you’re thinking about sending us to the Isle of the Lost!” She screamed the last four words, ice pouring from her hands.

“I certainly have a good reason to now, don’t I?” Ben looked around at the ice-coated school. “You need to stop this. Right now. Or I will stop you.”

Erika laughed. “Don’t you see?” she said. “You can’t. I’ve sealed off Fairy Godmother’s office. She’s trapped in there. And-“ she sent instructions to _magisk,_ and it whirled off to carry them out. A grinding crash came from the direction of the dorms. “I’ve just walled Mal into her room. She’s trapped. Neither of them can reach the museum, and nobody else can wield the wand or use Mal’s spells. Except for Jane, but she’s just not strong enough. This is what happens when you forbid magic, Ben. When the one who doesn’t care about your rules comes along, you have no one left to fight for you. You’re all alone. And you don’t have magic on your side. So tell me, Ben…” she flicked her wrist, and a trail of frost crawled toward him. “What power do _you_ have to stop _me?_ ”

Ben sighed, his head dropping. Erika smiled. “You’re lucky, you know,” she said, reaching for that strange emotion she couldn’t quite grasp. “I’m only freezing the school. If I wanted to, I could destroy your entire kingdom.” She stood directly in front of him now, and he drew back from the sheer force of the cold radiating from her skin. “But I’m not going to do that. And do you know why?” She stared deep into his eyes, finally noticing the fear lurking behind them. Her words, when she spoke, dripped with venom, hate, and the sweet taste of revenge. “Because I’m a _good girl._ ”

She straightened, turning to face the open door. Slowly, deliberately, Erika summoned another storm and flung it up, watching as it exploded in a freezing hail of snow. She turned back to Ben, who was struggling not to be blown backwards by the force of the storm. “Good,” she said, frost filling her palm. “But not perfect.”

Spikes of ice crashed up all across the school, driven by the force of her emotions. “Erika, please!” Ben pleaded. “You don’t have to do this! I know you! You’re better than this!”

_Don’t be the monster they fear you are._

“You’re wrong, Ben!” she shouted back. “I’m not better than this!” She stared at the destruction she had made, feeling nothing but victory. “I am so much worse!”

 

Erika took no notice of the terrified students running past her. She focused only on freezing over the school. She had never put so much effort into anything, not even making Sindri. She was pouring everything she had into this, yet it wasn’t draining her. She felt almost as if, with every icicle she formed on the ceiling, with every flake of snow she conjured from her fingertips, it refreshed her, gave her more energy. Some part of her- some wicked part- had finally broken free, and she loved it. All of Auradon’s slights of her, her kingdom, her mother- they had all contributed to this, every negative feeling stored up in waiting for this moment. She released everything she had ever felt towards Auradon and brought it all crashing down on them like an avalanche, the vengeance of winter finally rising up to give the false kingdom exactly what it deserved. Erika laughed at them, then. They had thought her mother was the dangerous one? "You should never have trusted me!" she screamed, ice cascading from every part of her. 

She watched as the ice on the floor started to shift, its color settling into a pink that wasn’t quite red as she gave vent to her anger. She lifted her face to the ceiling, lifting her hands and summoning snowfalls, smiling as she enjoyed the cold on her skin. _Magisk_ tore free through the school, the way it had before Auradon had forbidden magic. But there was always one who defied the rules, and Erika was more than willing to fill the role.

She thought once again about the picture in her textbook of her mother as Auradon saw her. She laughed as she realized something. Auradon, for so long, had seen her mother as a villain, and they had seen Erika as a princess, the image of royalty. And now, Erika had switched places. That portrait was more suited for her than her mother.

Erika’s ice was connected to her emotions, and it changed color based on what she was feeling. Yellow for fear, blue for joy, purple for sadness- and red for anger. The ice that spiked across the school now was redder than blood.

This was no ordinary anger. Erika’s ice, forced into hiding inside her for so long, had filled her heart and soul. There was no more heat in her anger, no warmth in her sadness. It was all cold and dark, and it felt good. It felt _right_. It was right for her to be angry at Auradon, at Ben, at Beast. It was right for her to want revenge on whatever biased artist had painted the villainous portrait of her mother. It was right- it was _good_ \- for her to call down this storm on the ones who had tried to force her into the mold, the ones who had tried to push her mother into a cage. Erika stopped fighting, and she let the ice freeze her heart. Another whirlwind of emotion burst from her chest, and she gasped as she felt the phantom one she hadn’t been able to reach tug loose and come surging up with all the others. And then, she knew what it was.

For one long moment, she really considered what she was doing. She knew that, from this moment, she could turn it all around. She pretended that she could end the storm, apologize to Fairy Godmother and Ben, wear the gloves and conceal her gift, and life would go on as it had before. But there was no going back. Even if she apologized, even if she groveled at Fairy Godmother’s feet, she had already proven herself to be too dangerous. She would be sent to the Isle, and she wouldn’t be the only one.

Anger erupted in her chest as she remembered all the ways Auradon had insulted her, her mother, and her kingdom. The fury overwhelmed her, but it wasn’t hot this time. No, it was cold, cold and deadly and absolutely perfect.

Erika opened her mind and accepted it, feeling the cold phantom emotion chill her heart, the icy shell overtaking it. And in that single moment, she _knew_. She was no longer one of the heroes, one of the good, one of the princesses. She had embraced not only anger, but wickedness as well.

Erika had become evil.

And in that moment, the ice that spilled from her outstretched hands turned black.

_Yellow for fear, blue for joy, purple for sadness, red for anger._

And black for a heart so cold that nothing could even begin to thaw it. Black for a fury deeper and darker and more deadly than the sea. Black for the bitterness that stemmed from concealing emotions. Black for vengeance, black for rage, black for a love that mixed with hate.

Black for _evil._

And Erika laughed. The sound could have easily been classified as a witch’s cackle, if it wasn’t so full of pure, wild, reckless joy. The girl from Arendelle threw her head back and laughed, revenge and wickedness and fury and love tangling in her soul, overflowing in a storm of emotion and pouring pitch black ice all around her. Hair nearly as white as snow flew wild around her shoulders, crossing paths with the flecks of frozen frost that still lingered in the air, darkened by the flakes of black snow that spilled from her fingertips.

Her laugh was that of a witch, her eyes those of a sorceress, her smile that of a monster. And her heart was that of a villain.

 


	25. Winter’s Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika comes to terms with what she has done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are...it’s the epilogue. It has been such a ride, guys. I thought I was going to give up on this so many times.
> 
> I’d like to thank everyone who left a positive comment or kudos on this story...you kept me going. There were some of you who commented on every single chapter and never made me feel bad for writing. I can’t express how thankful I am for that, guys. I’d also like to thank everyone who just read this story...seeing the hits go up almost every time I logged in to my account reassured me in a way that I can’t explain. Tusen takk (a thousand thanks) to every single one of you.  
> I’d also like to thank those of you who left comments that maybe weren’t so positive. Believe it or not, you kept me going, too. Knowing that there were people out there who wanted to see me fail and expected me to give up...that helped me keep going and never give in. 
> 
> Thank you to every single one of you. I’ll be announcing the sequel soon and publishing a trailer, so keep your eye out for that.
> 
> Well, this is it. Enjoy, guys, and I’ll be back soon.

Erika stepped from the frozen school, smiling at the sight of the ice crawling over the stones. Each flag on the Wall of Kingdoms was covered in frost, and Auradon’s banner had been pierced through by an icicle. She flicked her fingers at it, watching as frost molded itself into a black crocus on the wall where Arendelle’s banner would have been hung. _Just so they can’t forget._

Several students were huddled at the far end of the courtyard, watching her with fear and anger in their eyes. Erika didn’t look to see if Mollie and Tam were among them. She knew she had destroyed any hope of remaining in Auradon, and had most likely shattered the relationships she had begun to form. She was leaving every aspect of her life in Auradon behind- including her friends.

But she was too relieved to grieve. A weight had been lifted off her chest, some pressure to be perfect and good no longer applying to her. Auradon had seen her reject them. They would never again try to force her into the mold. They knew now that, if they did, she would freeze it solid.

She looked up at the school. A winter’s storm crafted by her hands was forming above it, and any second now, it would begin to snow. Erika decided to speed up the process. She called _magisk,_ and it came whirling back to her, weaving itself in and out of the students, a chilling touch. It threw itself up at the sky, freezing the clouds, and large, black snowflakes started to fall thick and fast.

Erika smiled, watching them come down from the cold, gray sky. Never had Auradon looked so much like home, even if the snow was as dark as night. She lifted her hands, feeling the wind whip around her, and she almost heard it whisper in her ear. The cold, ice-tinged wind was so familiar that it stung. And Erika knew where she needed to go.

She sighed, letting the wind play with her hair. “Take me home,” she whispered, to the wind, to _magisk,_ to her own cold heart. “Home.” She turned her back on the students and the school, walking in the direction of the sea, a trail of dark ice spreading from her feet.

_That perfect girl is gone…_

_—————————————————_

The icy wind and stormy weather was natural at this time of year, and the figures on the edge of the fjord paid no heed to the light snow that began to tumble down from the clouds. The two taller ones hung back as the one in the center stepped to the edge of a rocky outcropping and looked out into the fjord, hair blowing loose as the wind picked up. They remained there for several minutes.

“Your Majesty, should we return to the palace?” one of the two tall figures asked, both of them dressed in the greenish-gray uniforms of palace guards. The woman between them shook her head.

“No,” she answered. “We will wait a few moments.”

The guards nodded smartly and waited as their queen watched the horizon, facing the sea. She stood as still as an ice sculpture, her eyes never leaving the water.

The minutes dragged by, and the storm grew in intensity, shaking heavy handfuls of snow down on the trio. “My queen…”

“Wait,” the woman commanded, shielding her eyes. A smile slowly spread across her face. “Look.” The guards peered down on the fjord, following the queen’s gaze.

Another figure was walking slowly down the fjord. Not along its shore- _on_ it. The water froze under the figure’s feet.

“ _Datter,_ ” the woman breathed, and then she was running, flying down to the shoreline. The guards hurried to keep up, but she outpaced them. Her toes hit the water and kept going, freezing the water solid. “ _Datter!_ ”

The figure’s head snapped up. “Mama!” she cried, breaking into a run.

The two met in the center of the fjord, their arms locking around each other in a tight embrace. Tears froze solid on both their cheeks.

“Mama,” Erika wept, holding her mother close.

Elsa held her daughter against her chest, as if unable to believe that she was real. “Erika,” she whispered. “Snowflake, you’re back. You’re back.”

“I’m back, Mama,” Erika said. “I’ve left Auradon for good. But…but I did something terrible.”

Elsa gripped her daughter’s shoulders, searching her face. “I felt a surge of magic,” she said. “Six days ago. Was that…”

Erika gestured to the fjord behind her, coated with dark ice. “I froze the school,” she whispered. “I made a storm over Auradon.” She lifted her hand and showed her mother the black snow. “I’m a villain, Mama. A _true_ villain.”

Elsa pressed her daughter close. “Erika, snowflake...”

“I’m sorry,” Erika said, tears streaming down her face.

“For what?” Elsa asked. “You aren’t a villain any more than I am. Haven’t you realized yet?” She stared into Erika’s eyes. “Auradon calls you a villain because of what you did. But, sweetheart, to me you are a hero. You showed me something. I have been afraid of Auradon for far too long now, afraid they would hurt me, hurt you. But you faced that fear in a way I never did. That is a heroic thing to do, if you ask me.” She ran her hand through her daughter’s pale hair. “Who said that one kingdom gets to decide if you are a hero or a villain? No, snowflake. You are the only one who gets to choose that.”

Erika sighed, leaning against her mother, overwhelmed with relief. “They’re going to come for us,” she said softly. “What are we going to do?”

“I’m going to do what I should have done all those years ago,” Elsa replied, her eyes hardening. She led her daughter across the ice, back to the shore where the guards waited to escort them back to the palace. For just a moment, she looked back at the fjord entrance that led to the sea.

And then, the snow queen turned to her guards and spoke the three words that she had sworn she would never say again.

“Close the gates.”

_The world pushes us without mercy. And when some push back, the world points and cries_

_evil._

 

 

 

Datter- daughter

 

 

 


	26. Book Two Announcement!

Hey guys! I’m popping on here to announce that the sequel to In Cold Blood will be started just in time for Christmas! Look for the first chapter on December 21! 

I won’t give you a plot outline just yet, but I will say one thing: 

The sequel’s title is “On Thin Ice.”


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